Motorsports
Norris Strikes Back
Budapest, Hungary | World champion Lando Norris recovered from a difficult opening lap to claim his first victory of the season in a commanding Hungarian Grand Prix performance for McLaren.
The 26-year-old Briton crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to secure the 12th win of his Formula One career. Mercedes driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the podium.
Norris started from pole position but ran wide at Turn Two during a frantic opening lap, allowing McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to take the lead. Verstappen moved into second while Lewis Hamilton climbed to fourth after passing Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
George Russell endured a disastrous start when his Mercedes entered anti-stall on the grid. He dropped from sixth to 20th as Antonelli moved up to sixth.
Ferrari began the race on soft tires while most of the field chose mediums in scorching conditions. Air temperature reached 31 degrees Celsius, with the track measured at 51 degrees.
Hamilton began losing grip by Lap 10 and stopped four laps later in an attempt to undercut Verstappen. Red Bull responded on the next lap, but the Dutchman rejoined behind Hamilton before reclaiming the position with a move into Turn One.
The pit-stop cycle briefly placed Antonelli in front before Piastri resumed the lead ahead of Norris. McLaren brought the Australian in first after Norris requested a stop, leaving the Briton at the front by the halfway point.
Norris held a five-second advantage over Verstappen before making his second stop on Lap 40. He returned in third, ahead of Piastri, who had narrowly avoided a heavier collision with Carlos Sainz at Turn Two. The Williams driver received a five-second penalty for the incident.
Antonelli inherited the lead after Verstappen stopped again, although Norris quickly closed the gap on fresher tires. The McLaren driver passed the young Italian at Turn One on Lap 46 and immediately began building a comfortable advantage.
McLaren’s hopes of another one-two finish disappeared when Piastri slowed with gearbox trouble and retired. His stoppage triggered a Virtual Safety Car, allowing Norris, Hamilton and Leclerc to switch to soft tires.
Norris controlled the closing laps to repeat his Hungaroring victory from the previous season. McLaren has now won the Hungarian Grand Prix for three consecutive years.
“The car was unbelievable today,” Norris said over team radio. “It’s probably the best pace I’ve ever had. This track is good for us.”
Verstappen described the result as unexpected after struggling with his Red Bull throughout the weekend.
“We had to work very hard for this,” he said after securing another podium finish.
Antonelli held off Hamilton to finish third and increase his championship advantage over the Ferrari driver to 50 points. Hamilton received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane but retained fifth behind Leclerc.
Isack Hadjar placed sixth in the second Red Bull, followed by Russell and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson. Nico Huelkenberg earned Audi’s first points of the season in ninth, while rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.
McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris celebrates winning the pole position after the qualifying session at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod near Budapest, Hungary, on July 25, 2026 ahead of the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc returned to the top step of the podium at Silverstone, ending a winless run that stretched back to 2024 and delivering Ferrari its 250th Formula 1 victory.
The Monegasque controlled the closing stages of the British Grand Prix and secured the ninth win of his career after a late Safety Car period froze the race order for the final five laps.
Ferrari had been running first and second before the intervention, but its decision to pit both cars reshaped the podium. Leclerc retained the lead, while Lewis Hamilton dropped behind Mercedes driver George Russell, who stayed out and took second place.
Hamilton finished third and recorded his 16th podium at Silverstone, extending his record at the circuit. He congratulated Leclerc and welcomed Ferrari’s progress despite missing out on a possible one-two finish.
Leclerc said the result followed a breakthrough in his understanding of the car. He found improvements during qualifying and confirmed them during the race, allowing him to recover the feel he had been searching for.
The Safety Car was deployed after Max Verstappen crashed his Red Bull. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli also suffered a damaged wheel shield, ending his late challenge and leaving him outside the points.
Antonelli had started from pole but made a poor getaway. He recovered through the field and appeared capable of fighting for victory before the mechanical problem dropped him to 16th.
The result tightened the drivers’ championship. Antonelli remains in front with 179 points, helped by his earlier run of five consecutive victories. Russell moved to 154 points after finishing second, while Hamilton climbed to 147.
Ferrari’s second victory of the season also reduced Mercedes’ advantage in the constructors’ standings. Mercedes remains ahead with 333 points after seven wins, while Ferrari moved to 255.
Hamilton said Ferrari still needed to improve its outright pace, but described the team’s recent results as encouraging. He also accepted responsibility for his own race, which included a yellow-flag infringement and a jump-start incident.
Leclerc’s victory gave Ferrari its first British Grand Prix win since Carlos Sainz won at Silverstone in 2022. It also revived the team’s title hopes after Mercedes had controlled much of the early season.
Ferrari leaves Silverstone with another win, a double podium and renewed momentum as the championship battle moves into its next phase.
Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) is bringing the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup back to Clark International Speedway from July 9 to 11, with Race Weekend 2 doubling as a live test platform for low-carbon biofuels.
The second of four race weekends planned for 2026 follows the March opener at Riverpark in Cavite, where more than 6,000 spectators watched the series debut the Tamaraw Racing Class using the locally made Tamaraw one-make race car.
This time, TMP is putting sustainability closer to the racing action. The company will use the series as a “rolling laboratory” to test low-carbon biofuels in its two one-make race vehicles, the Vios OMR and Tamaraw OMR.
The Vios OMR will run on a 20 percent bio-ethanol blend, or E20, while the Tamaraw OMR will use a 5 percent coco-biodiesel blend, or B5. Racing conditions will allow TMP to assess performance, efficiency and reliability under high-demand use.
TMP said the program supports its fuel flexibility push. Three-quarters of Toyota and Lexus gasoline models are already E20 compatible, while all Toyota diesel models are B5 compatible.
“Motorsports has always been a testbed for progress, and this season, TGR Philippines will take a step forward by actively exploring alternative fuels in competitive racing conditions. Testing biofuels in motorsports allows us to evaluate performance, efficiency and reliability in high-demand environments, so this will be a pivotal moment for the wider adoption of low-carbon biofuels in the Philippines,” TMP First Vice President for Vehicle Sales Operations Elijah Marcial said.
TMP Vice President for Government and Industry Affairs Elvin Luciano said the use of biofuels in motorsports fits Toyota’s wider multi-pathway approach to carbon neutrality.
“As a company committed to reducing carbon emissions, we recognize that every activity must contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable future. Alternative fuels help reduce dependency on non-renewables like petroleum, so using biofuel for our motorsports events aligns with our multi-pathway approach, which includes diversifying our energy sources to contribute to our broader goal of carbon neutrality,” Luciano said.
The TGR Philippine Cup has been bringing Toyota’s motorsports program to Filipino fans since 2014. Race Weekend 2 will be open to the public on July 11, with free admission.
The event is backed by GT Radial, Petron RevX, Petron Blaze Racing, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Academy and other partners.
