Liam Lawson produced another composed drive to finish eighth in the Hungarian Grand Prix, helping Racing Bulls secure a valuable double points finish and climb to fifth in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship before the sport’s summer break.
After narrowly missing out on Q3 in qualifying and starting 11th, the Kiwi wasted little time making progress. A superb opening lap saw him gain three positions to move into the points, giving himself the track position needed to challenge throughout the 70-lap race at the Hungaroring.
While several of the faster front-running cars eventually worked their way back through the field, Racing Bulls responded with an aggressive two-stop strategy for Lawson. The decision proved decisive, giving him fresher tyres during the closing stages and allowing him to reclaim eighth place after overtaking teammate Arvid Lindblad.
Lawson crossed the line ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, while Lindblad held on for 10th to ensure Racing Bulls celebrated another double points finish.
“It was a good race for us today. The first corner and lap one were obviously very important for me given I had a challenging Qualifying yesterday,” Lawson said.
“Following a strong start, we knew we had a long race ahead, but the car just felt super strong throughout.
“A huge thanks to the team who made the right call on the two-stop strategy. To have two cars in the points is a great way to round off the first half of the season.
“To be heading into summer break fifth in the Constructors’ Championship is a reflection of all the hard work the team has put in so far this year. While I’m looking forward to recharging over the next few weeks, I’m excited to carry this momentum forward into Zandvoort.”
The result was an important response after Lawson missed the points in Belgium and continued what has been a consistently impressive first half of the season. His four-point haul lifted him to 43 championship points, moving him into ninth in the drivers’ standings ahead of Pierre Gasly.
The tally also continues Lawson’s rise in New Zealand Formula 1 history. His 43 points this season are now the second-highest total by a Kiwi driver in a single campaign, behind only Denny Hulme’s championship-winning 1967 season. Lawson’s career total has also reached 87 points, moving him past Chris Amon into third on New Zealand’s all-time Formula 1 points list, with only Bruce McLaren and Hulme ahead.
Team principal Alan Permane praised both the strategy and execution that allowed Racing Bulls to strengthen its position in the fiercely contested midfield battle.
“It was a long tough race today, but we’ve been rewarded with a fantastic double celebration, finishing with two cars in the points and moving up to 5th place in the Constructor’s Championship; something we’ve all been working so hard towards,” Permane said.
“It’s a great way to finish off the first half of the season. We always aim for operational perfection, and we came very close to that today.
“It was a good battle with Audi – very close, but we ultimately came out on top. The car was strong in both Qualifying and the race, and it was executed flawlessly by the team. We’re very happy with the way the race unfolded, and we look forward to a very well-deserved break before returning even stronger in Zandvoort.”
Lindblad’s 10th-place finish completed Racing Bulls’ successful afternoon after the rookie battled fading tyres during the final stint to secure the last championship point.
At the front, Lando Norris claimed his first Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season after a dramatic race that saw the McLaren driver inherit the lead following misfortune for teammate Oscar Piastri.
Piastri had taken the lead from Norris on the opening lap and controlled much of the race before contact with Carlos Sainz during the second half of the event disrupted his afternoon. A subsequent gearbox failure forced the Australian to retire, promoting Norris into a commanding lead.
Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, while Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third after a late Virtual Safety Car shuffled the strategies of several front-runners. Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed, with Hamilton dropping behind Leclerc after receiving a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Isack Hadjar finished sixth for Red Bull, George Russell recovered from an anti-stall issue at the start to take seventh, Lawson claimed eighth, Hulkenberg scored his first points of the season in ninth, and Lindblad completed the top 10.
The result capped a strong opening half of the campaign for Lawson and Racing Bulls, with the Faenza-based outfit heading into Formula 1’s summer break sitting fifth in the Constructors’ Championship and carrying valuable momentum into the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Header Image: Steven Tee/LAT Images via Red Bull Content Pool
