Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo, and now, Oscar Piastri.
The young Melburnian this morning became just the fifth Australian to take a Formula 1 Grand Prix win, leading home teammate Lando Norris for a McLaren one-two in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“This is really the day I dreamed of as a kid, standing on the top step of an F1 podium,” he beamed after the race.
Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton survived mid-race contact with Max Verstappen to complete the podium ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen followed home in fifth, while Sergio Perez recovered from his qualifying crash to cross the line in seventh.
McLaren’s one-two and the two Red Bulls dropping points leaves the two outfits separated by just 51 points ahead of next weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa before the mid-season break.
Runner-up for Norris also reduces the gap to championship leader Verstappen to 76 points. Piastri sits fifth in the standings, now only 13 points off third-placed Carlos Sainz.
The Australian jumped his pole-sitting teammate off the line into Turn 1 to hit the front in a three-wide battle. Verstappen attempted a bold move around the outside of the McLaren pair but ran out of space and was forced into the run-off before rejoining ahead of Norris.
The Dutchman ran in second for several laps and argued his case while under investigation for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Much to his displeasure, he eventually relented to allow the second McLaren to pass, ending the investigation.
Behind Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc remained in close proximity.
While that unfolded, Piastri built a sizeable advantage out front, remaining out of DRS range over the opening stint.
Hamilton was the first of the lead four to stop, coming in on Lap 16 and undercutting a still-irritated Verstappen, who remained out longer, for third.
McLaren responded to the Mercedes stop the next lap, bringing Norris in first to cover second and then Piastri the following tour. He remained in the lead of those who had stopped on return.
Verstappen remained out until Lap 22, while Leclerc ran longer until Lap 25.
Piastri returned to the overall lead ahead of his teammate, with Hamilton holding third over Verstappen and Leclerc as a rhythm settled in.
Norris gradually ate into his teammate’s advantage as he battled lapped traffic while Verstappen reeled in Hamilton to challenge for the podium. As they battled, Leclerc surged back into contention and onto the rear of the fight.
The seven-time World Champion stopped again on Lap 40, as did Leclerc.
Norris remained out until Lap 45 when McLaren boxed him from second to prevent a Mercedes undercut.
Piastri followed two laps later, losing out to his teammate via an undercut. However, McLaren reassured the Australian that his position would be returned when he caught up to Norris.
Norris argued the decision when told of it, saying the team should have stopped the leader first. By Lap 68, Piastri was over six seconds behind Norris before the latter relented and allowed the early leader back through.
Before that, Verstappen and Hamilton came together at Turn 1 on Lap 62, with the Red Bull launching over the front wheel of the Mercedes. Leclerc jumped at the chance to move ahead of Verstappen and finished fourth at his expense.
Norris remained on the rear of Piastri after allowing him through before eventually dropping 2.141 seconds behind at the chequered flag.
Hamilton was 12.7 seconds down the road from the lead two in third, and four seconds ahead of Lelcerc.
Sainz pressured Verstappen for fifth but could not make a move and settled for sixth, ahead of a resurgent Perez, who climbed from as low as 18th to finish seventh.
George Russell and Perez were inseparable for much of the race while working forward from the rear of the field, and the second Mercedes followed the second Red Bull home in eighth.
Yuki Tsunoda earned two points for RB in eighth, while Lance Stroll completed the top ten.
An under-pressure Daniel Ricciardo lost out on strategy after a solid qualifying effort to finish outside the points in 12th.
Pierre Gasly was the only non-finisher, retiring with hydraulic issues on Lap 33.
Formula 1 returns next weekend at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Header Image: Formula 1
