After winning both the constructor’s and driver’s championships in 2025, McLaren had a challenging start to the 2026 season. Hungary, with the team bringing their first major batch of upgrades that weekend, mixed with the specificities of the Hungaroring, was a hope for the team to catch up, even if slightly, to this season’s leaders.
Upgrades, Testing, and Data Collection:
The first free practice session was not an incredible jump from usual results. However, this was to be expected. With all the changes previously mentioned, drivers always need some time to test out and feel the new car. Additionally, Oscar Piastri was not in his car for this session. Leonardo Fornaroli, the back-to-back F3 and F2 champion and McLaren development driver, took the MCL40 for his second time this season after stepping in in Barcelona earlier this year. Both cars ran two different setups, Lando Norris’ having an updated floor, while the second car tested out a revolving rear wing.
Leonardo Fornaroli stated, “Overall, I’m happy with how today went and the team’s positive feedback. I learned a lot and was able to gather a lot of valuable data and support with the setup of the car for Oscar, which was my main focus. Thank you again to the team for the opportunity.”
FP2 showed great improvement, and it only kept moving upwards from then. This session was a significant improvement for the team on top of being a great data collection moment. Norris kept the upgraded floor while Piastri had the regular one, giving the team an opportunity to directly compare the two.
With that data comparison, FP3 took place with both cars having the same improvements. The session itself was disrupted as a red flag happened near the beginning of it but nonetheless proved that the setup adjustments were an upgrade. Lando Norris topped the timesheets in P1, while Oscar Piastri took P5.
Lando Norris’ conversion of upgrades into victory
During Qualifying, Norris managed to get pole by an incredibly small margin of 0.012 seconds from Lewis Hamilton. Great driving, as well as incredible timing and track evolution, was the recipe. Norris made his final attempt in the dying moments of Q3, taking advantage of the rubber laid down by preceding cars to have peak track grip.
This was the first pole position for McLaren since Qatar in 2025, a very encouraging one following the newly introduced upgrades.
The race itself did not start on the best point for Norris, who ran slightly wide at Turn 2 and allowed his teammate, Oscar Piastri, to take the lead. Continuing the race in second place, Norris’ radio showed his frustration when requesting a pitstop (giving him priority over his leading teammate); the team replied simply: “We can’t, I’m afraid.”
However, he remained persistent, and, around mid-distance, the Briton managed to gain the lead of the race again. Once established in clean air, Norris managed the remainder of the 70-lap distance effectively, cruising to his first victory of the 2026 season with 15 seconds clear of second place, Max Verstappen.
This drive also secured the team’s first Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season. After the race, the Papaya driver stated. “My pace was some of the best pace I have ever had, the car was beautiful to drive, and I felt very confident.”
Roller Coaster race for Oscar Piastri
Qualifying was not a particularly memorable moment of Piastri’s weekend, the driver managing to get P5. However, he benefitted from other drivers’ penalties, which allowed him to be promoted to P3 on the starting grid.
While Piastri’s opening lap created great hope for McLaren to secure a double podium, all did not go as planned for the Australian driver. Piastri managed to jump from P3 to P1 after overtaking Charles Leclerc into Turn 1 and Lando Norris into Turn 2. Out in front, Piastri was pulled in first out of the two McLaren drivers to cover Lewis Hamilton’s undercut threat.
During lap 38 through 39, Piastri collided with Carlos Sainz as he attempted to lap the Williams driver.
Nonetheless, Piastri managed to reach P2 again, but, right when the hopes for McLaren’s double podium were at their peak, a presumed gearbox failure led him to end the race prematurely on Lap 56.
A disappointing and frustrating race for the Australian driver who hoped for, at least, a podium finish.
Looking Ahead: A Turning Point or a False Dawn?
McLaren, although having a rocky start of the season, sits third in the constructor’s championship. Hungary may have been a turning point for the team, going into the summer break with great momentum and hope for the second half of the season.
The team remains cautious, highlighting that they still have some work to do from a performance and reliability point of view. Additionally, the Hungaroring possesses unique circuit features, and thus, it is necessary not to draw extensive conclusions on a single weekend’s success.
As the paddock heads off for the summer shutdown, one question remains in the open: can McLaren translate this Hungarian high into consistent form when the championship resumes?