Simone Resta believes McLaren’s performance step at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix was not solely the result of its upgrade package, with Lando Norris’ individual performance also playing a major role in the team’s Budapest victory.
McLaren introduced a number of new parts in Hungary as it attempted to close the gap to the front of the field, which has largely been led by Mercedes this season. Norris then secured pole position before delivering McLaren’s first victory of the 2026 campaign, marking only the third non-Mercedes win of the year.
“The update package was certainly significant, and it must have contributed to their performance,” Resta said. “At the same time, if you look at the gap between their two cars, there was clearly more to it than the upgrade alone.”
Resta pointed to the variation between McLaren’s two drivers across the season as evidence that weekend conditions and a driver’s ability to maximise the package remain important factors. Norris had already produced several strong performances before converting that pace into victory in Hungary.
Resta believes the combination of car setup and tyre management was likely central to Norris’ performance. “Budapest may simply have been one of those weekends where he found himself in a particularly good place with the car, the setup and tyre management. I think it was probably a combination of both factors,” he said.
McLaren’s stronger showing also came as Mercedes’ advantage at the front appeared to narrow across recent events. Even so, Mercedes still holds a healthy margin in both championships, with Resta highlighting the strength of its own driver pairing as a major asset.
Resta noted that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have both taken pole positions and race victories this season. He believes the internal competition between the pair continues to raise Mercedes’ performance level as the team targets further Formula 1 title success in 2026.
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