2026 Hungarian Grand Prix: Norris Breaks Drought, Hülkenberg Delivers Audi's First Points

The 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring delivered a long-awaited victory for reigning champion Lando Norris and a breakthrough moment for Audi Revolut F1 Team, as Nico Hülkenberg scored his first points of the season with a composed drive to ninth place.

Race winner: Norris ends eight-month wait

Lando Norris took his first grand prix win of the 2026 campaign, crossing the line 15 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The victory ended an eight-month drought for the reigning world champion, who had not stood on the top step since the final race of 2025. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished third for Mercedes, extending his advantage in the drivers' standings.

Hülkenberg's first points for Audi

Nico Hülkenberg started from 10th on the grid and executed a two-stop strategy: mediums to lap 20, hards, then switching to softs on lap 50. He overtook teammate Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad in the closing stages to claim ninth place and two points.

"It's been a long time coming," Hülkenberg said afterward, noting that the pace had been present in earlier races but circumstances had not aligned. The result was his first points-scoring finish since Abu Dhabi 2025, when he was still driving for Sauber.

The German driver added that the team would use the summer break to "reset, analyze lessons learned, and build on the momentum" ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

Bortoleto's one-stop gamble falls short

Gabriel Bortoleto attempted an alternative one-stop strategy but finished 11th, just outside the points. The Brazilian described the hard tyre as "quite a bad compound compared to the soft" and said he had to manage degradation heavily throughout the stint.

Team milestone: third straight points finish

Audi Revolut F1 Team scored points for the third consecutive race weekend, following Bortoleto's eighth-place finishes at both the British and Belgian Grands Prix. The consistency moved Audi up to eighth in the Constructors' Championship.

Team Principal Allan McNish described the result as "another positive step forward," adding that the team "executed a clean race to maximise the opportunities available" and would use the break to "recharge and continue development."