Toto Wolff says Mercedes expected Lewis Hamilton to win the Hungarian Grand Prix

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Toto Wolff is pleasantly surprised that Mercedes gained points on Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished third at the Hungaroring, two places ahead of the penalised Hamilton.

Ferrari entered the race as the favourites but their weekend unravelled from the end of Q3 onwards, allowing Antonelli to extend his lead over Hamilton in the standings to 50 points.

Lando Norris wins his first race of 2026 at the Hungarian GP! Rate that wild race out of 10!

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Toto Wolff says Kimi Antonelli beating Lewis Hamilton was a bonus

Ferrari’s 2026 car is regarded as the class leader through the corners, with engine performance holding them back relative to title rivals Mercedes.

Their Friday performance in Hungary supported that narrative, with Charles Leclerc topping FP1 before Hamilton led a dominant one-two in the afternoon session. They were four-tenths clear of the chasing pack.

“Lewis was the one to win this race Saturday morning, all of Friday, and we come out of this with a few points gained,” Wolff said, via Molly Hudson of The Times.

Hamilton had provisional pole after the first run of Q3 but neither Ferrari improved on the second after the team controversially decided to send them out early. That allowed Lando Norris to snatch pole position.

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tyler.rowlinson1h

Is it just me that thinks Lewis Hamilton’s penalty was ridiculously harsh? I mean, yes, he broke the rules, but come on! Surely exceeding the speed limit by 0.1km/h doesn’t warrant a five-second penalty? I feel like the FIA need to be more lenient with things like this. What do you think?

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The stewards then handed Hamilton a three-place penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri, which promoted Charles Leclerc to the front row.

Hamilton gained a place on the opening lap but Leclerc fell behind Piastri, who stormed into the lead from third, and Verstappen. Ferrari then became detached from the McLarens.

Their chances of victory were already fading in the opening stint, and their pace was ordinary when they switched to the hard tyres. Hamilton ended up in a podium fight with Antonelli and Max Verstappen, rather than chasing top spot.

A five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane ended those hopes and ultimately cost him P4 to Leclerc. A 22-point haul for Ferrari was a major disappointment, even if they outscored Mercedes by one, with George Russell only seventh after stalling at the start.

“I’m really not happy about too many mistakes that happen,” Wolff added, despite his satisfaction with the overall championship outlook.