Lando Norris abided with a team order in the closing stages to let team-mate Oscar Piastri repass him as McLaren claimed a 1-2 in Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Piastri seized the lead at the start but lost the lead when Norris undercut at the last stop, with the Briton begrudging in his eventual choice to let the Australian through.
Norris reported throttle concerns throughout his reconnaissance laps to the grid, prompting McLaren to undertake a throttle damper change on the grid to his MCL38.
The top six elected to go with the Medium compound, as Aston Martin went aggressive with the Softs. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez and George Russell started on Hards.
Norris appeared to have aced the launch on this occasion, but team-mate Piastri got a better start to draw alongside the sister car despite being pushed to the barrier.
Piastri held the inside as Verstappen broke late around the outside to open a three-wide situation that ended with the Dutchman sandwiching the two McLaren racers.
However, Max Verstappen ventured wide to claim the position over Norris, who came over the team radio to tell his McLaren side that his rival had to give the spot up.
Charles Leclerc also executed a storming start to move up into fifth, while Fernando Alonso used the grippier Softs to demote Carlos Sainz three positions to seventh.
Elsewhere, Alex Albon gained four places to move his Williams up into ninth, with Kevin Magnussen also capitalising on the slow-starting RBs to move up three spots.
Alonso’s red-walled rubber seemed to be degrading as Sainz passed him at Turn 1 on Lap 3 to regain sixth, while Verstappen was told to give the place back to Norris.
The Dutchman ceded second to Norris on the approach to Turn 2, but he came over the radio to voice his remonstrations that he was forced wide on that opening lap.
Williams with Albon and Haas with Magnussen elected to attempt an undercut with pit stops on Lap 6; Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo covered that move next lap round.
Piastri was controlling proceedings out in the lead and managing a three-second plus margin over Norris, who was closing on opening a similar deficit on Verstappen.
Verstappen was under threat with Hamilton close behind and Mercedes initiated an undercut attempt as Lewis Hamilton came into the pits on Lap 16 to go to Hards.
McLaren reacted and pitted Norris on the next lap and that was enough to retain the position over Hamilton, despite his compatriot going fastest in the middle sector.
Piastri boasted an eight-second advantage over Verstappen’s Red Bull behind and was the next driver to box, with a 2.5-second stop ensuring he retained the net lead.
Verstappen was again complaining about his RB20’s balance, but Red Bull opted to not respond to McLaren or Mercedes as he remained circulating on the Mediums.
But Verstappen did come in as Lap 21 concluded to emerge behind the McLarens and Hamilton, while Sainz also stopped and slotted his Ferrari back into ninth place.
Leclerc was informed that he was running a good race as he inherited the race lead, but he was the last from the front-running drivers to pit as Lap 23 came to an end.
Sainz wasted no time returning to his rightful position on the road as he passed Sergio Perez, George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda on successive laps to recover to sixth.
Alonso was agitated behind Hulkenberg, but he passed the Haas with ease to the inside at Turn 1 to take 11th and team-mate Lance Stroll then followed him through.
Perez stopped to discard his Hard compound on Lap 28 and RB then proceeded to cover that with Tsunoda on the next lap, prompting Mercedes to leave Russell out.
Hamilton’s earlier stop was beginning to cost him time as he slipped five seconds back from Norris ahead and was starting to come under pressure from Verstappen.
Piastri, meanwhile, had been coasting out in the lead until a slight moment at Turn 11 saw him spurn time to his team-mate to cut his advantage back to two seconds.
Verstappen lined Hamilton up at Turn 1 on Lap 35 and his movement to cover the inside saw the Briton lock-up, inviting the Red Bull driver to make a move into Turn 2.
But although Verstappen had the optimal racing line around the outside line, he carried too much pace and went wide to allow Hamilton to slip back through into third.
Hamilton’s robust defence to cover the inside line through Turn 2 and 4 two laps later was frustrating Verstappen and enabled Leclerc to close up on those two ahead.
Down the order, Alpine’s tumultuous weekend continued as Pierre Gasly, who started in the pits, was told to retire his car with a suspected hydraulic hitch on his A524.
Norris was closing on DRS range on Piastri and was told he could race his team-mate over the race lead, as Hamilton and Leclerc made their second stops on Lap 40.
Piastri remained the lead McLaren car on the road, but Norris, who was sitting two seconds behind the other MCL38, was given an undercut onto Mediums on Lap 45.
The Australian, who was advised to not be worried about his team-mate boxed two laps later and came back out behind Norris as Verstappen took over the race lead.
However, Norris was told McLaren desired to re-establish the original order at his convenience, with Verstappen pitting on Lap 49 to promote the Briton into first spot.
Verstappen’s rubber was nine laps newer than Leclerc’s Medium compound and he was now clambering over the Ferrari driver’s rear as the race ticked over to Lap 54.
Norris was managing the gap to Piastri at over three seconds as McLaren remained on course to attain a 1-2 as Verstappen was still situated behind Leclerc’s Ferrari.
But that changed on Lap 57 as Verstappen utilised the DRS down the start-finish straight to climb into fourth place, with Hamilton less than two seconds up the road.
Verstappen was in a position to dance round Hamilton’s outside at Turn 2 on Lap 62, but the seven-time champion remained firm and slammed the door to keep third.
The Dutchman’s temper had escalated throughout proceedings and his race got even worse as he made a late dive to Hamilton’s inside at Turn 1 and the two clashed.
Verstappen was launched into the air and his Red Bull car the ground with a thud as he headed wide, recovering back onto the racing line in fifth place behind Leclerc.
Norris was reminded again to make the swap and he slowed his pace going onto the start-finish straight on Lap 68 to give the lead back to Piastri heading into Turn 1.
Piastri came through and managed the last laps to the end to take the chequered flag to attain his maiden F1 grand prix win, becoming the seventh victor this season.
Hamilton came back a distant third in his Mercedes but logged another podium, with Leclerc taking fourth over the wounded Verstappen and Ferrari team-mate Sainz.
Perez and Russell recovered to take valuable points in seventh and eighth respectively, with RB’s Tsunoda and Aston Martin’s Stroll completing the points in Budapest.
