Complete weekend for Norris but poor result for Sainz - driver ratings
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- Lando Norris claimed victory from pole at the Hungarian GP — his and McLaren's first grand prix win of 2026 — earning a 9.5/10 rating despite losing the lead to teammate Piastri at the start before regaining it through the pits.
- Oscar Piastri seized the lead at Turn Two and ran ahead in the first half of the race but retired with a suspected gearbox failure; his drive still earned an 8.5/10 rating despite scoring zero points.
- Max Verstappen inherited second place after Piastri's retirement, with an 8.5/10 rating noting he dragged a difficult Red Bull to a result that looked unlikely after qualifying.
- Lewis Hamilton dropped from P4 to P5 after a 5-second pit-lane speeding penalty, compounding a 3-place grid penalty for impeding Piastri in qualifying — rated 6.5/10 despite being the fastest Ferrari driver all weekend.
- Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, recovered from seventh to the podium after a yellow-flag qualifying error compromised his grid position, earning an 8/10 for a damage-limitation drive.
- Carlos Sainz took 4/10 after receiving a penalty for a collision with Piastri while being lapped, capping a difficult weekend in a Williams the article says looked 'remotely uncompetitive' alongside teammate Albon.
- Oliver Bearman and Sergio Perez tied for the lowest rating at 3.5/10 — Bearman outpaced by Haas teammate Ocon and hit with a blue-flag penalty, while Perez qualified last, started from the pit lane and retired with a front-left issue in the Cadillac.
Why it matters: McLaren finally broke through with their first 2026 win, but Piastri's DNF and Hamilton's double penalty shuffled the points — Antonelli extends his championship lead with a damage-limitation podium while Norris climbs back into title contention, and the ratings reveal how severely penalties and car limitations punished Sainz, Bearman and Perez.
