BUDAPEST  — Lando Norris trimmed McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ world championship to just nine points yesterday when he switched tactics to lead him home by just 0.698 seconds in a thrilling finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old Briton, who moved from a two-stop strategy to one stop, held off series leader Piastri, on fresher tyres, over the closing laps of a strategic contest to claim McLaren’s 200th victory and their record 13th win in Hungary.

It was Norris’s first win at the Hungaroring in the event’s 40th race, avenging his ‘team orders’ defeat in 2024 when Piastri claimed his maiden success, his fifth victory of the season and the ninth of his career.

The dominant McLaren pair finished 22 seconds clear of third-placed George Russell of Mercedes with pole sitter Charles Leclerc of Ferrari fourth, grumbling at the Italian team’s poor planning after he slipped out of the leading position.

“I wasn’t planning to do a one-stop,” said Norris.

“But it was the only option to get back into things and it was tough. Oscar was pushing all the way.”

Piastri said he had done all he could to triumph.

“It was great racing,” he said.

“Lando did a great job.”

His drive brought McLaren their fourth consecutive 1-2 finish.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso came home fifth for Aston Martin ahead of Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin, rookie Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls and frustrated four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

Mercedes’ rookie Kimi Antonelli was 10th ahead of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton 12th in the second Ferrari, 24 hours after declaring himself undeserving of their race seat.

Heavy overnight rain had ‘re-set’ the track on a breezy afternoon in front of a big crowd at the Hungaroring.