Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has praised reigning champion Lando Norris following his impressive victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, describing the McLaren driver’s display as a “true world champion performance”.
Key Highlights
- David Coulthard praised Lando Norris’ Hungarian Grand Prix victory, calling it a performance worthy of a world champion.
- Norris delivered a flawless race at the Hungaroring, securing McLaren’s first grand prix win of the 2026 season.
- McLaren’s recent upgrades have improved their competitiveness, helping Norris fight back after early-season struggles.
- Norris heads into the summer break fifth in the standings, with Kimi Antonelli leading the championship after the first half of the season.
Coulthard Praises Norris’ Standout Performance
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast with co-host Jolie Sharpe, Coulthard reflected on the 2026 championship battle ahead of the mandatory August summer break. He highlighted Norris’ performance at the Hungaroring, where the Briton secured the first grand prix victory of the season for both himself and McLaren.
"Shout-out again to Lando for what was an amazing weekend of performance," Coulthard said. "A true world champion's performance all weekend before he heads off for [the summer break]."
Norris Delivers Under Pressure at the Hungaroring
Norris’ 2026 title defence had faced early challenges, with reliability issues and a performance gap compared to rivals Mercedes and Ferrari. However, McLaren showed signs of improvement after introducing upgrades, allowing the team to close the gap.
The Briton secured pole position by just 0.012 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. During the race, Norris briefly lost the lead to team-mate Oscar Piastri before eventually regaining control after Piastri retired following contact with Williams’ Carlos Sainz while being lapped and a subsequent gearbox failure. Norris remained composed, taking charge of the race and crossing the finish line to claim victory.
Coulthard Defends Norris’ Reputation Ahead of Summer Break
Coulthard also addressed the public perception surrounding Norris, joking about the reputation the McLaren driver has gained among fans and media.
"I thought it was fun that when they were asking the drivers in the press conference what they're all doing in the summer break, everyone kind of looked at Lando. He's been given the reputation of being the party boy of the drivers, which I suspect's a bit unfair, but anyway, that's where he's landed."
Championship Battle Remains Wide Open
After the first half of the 2026 season, Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings with 219 points. Lewis Hamilton sits second with 169 points, followed by George Russell in third with 160 points.Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris complete the top five, with 138 points and 128 points respectively, as the championship battle continues after the summer break.
