What should have been a historic day for McLaren ended in total chaos and disbelief. Lando Norris, who won the Grand Prix of Hungary 2025 on Sunday, and his teammate Oscar Piastri, who crossed the finish line second, were both disqualified by the FIA, barely a few hours after the race. The reason? A shocking video that appeared online this week and question the integrity of both drivers.
The images, which were previously dismissed as “rumor”, reportedly show a secret meeting between Norris, Piastri and an employee of a rival team, in which sensitive strategic information would have been shared. Although the authenticity of the video was initially disputed, the FIA decided to intervene after further investigation.
In an official statement, the FIA announced on Sunday evening:
“After a thorough investigation, it was established that the drivers concerned acted contrary to Article 12.2.1 of the sports regulations. As a result, the results of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Hungary are declared invalid.”
This decision means that McLaren’s impressive 1-2 victory is being canceled. The victory now goes to Max Verstappen, who finished third but has been named the winner through the exclusion of his rivals. Behind him, Charles Leclerc and George Russell also put a place in the final classification.
McLaren reacted furiously. Team boss Andrea Stella spoke in a statement of a “completely unjustified decision based on defective and misleading information”.
“Our riders have done nothing wrong. We will go to the utmost to purify their names. This is not how you should lose races.”
The case received even more attention when Verstappen unexpectedly responded during the press conference after the race. When asked what he thought of the disqualification, he said:
“This is not how I want to win my victories.”
His words were widely picked up and praised by fans and analysts. Many call it an example of sportiness in a turbulent situation.
For the time being it is unclear whether McLaren has a chance with a possible appeal, but it is clear that this decision can have major consequences for both the championship and the image of the team. What started when a perfect Sunday for McLaren has turned into a nightmare that will keep the Formula 1 world busy for a long time.
