Piastri has 'confidence' in his F1 title shot as he returns to Hungary, where he got his 1st win

Some Formula 1 races live in the memory because of thrilling action, some for controversy, some even for being so dull they forced a rule change.

And then there's Oscar Piastri's first F1 win, the benchmark for sheer awkwardness.

Piastri is happy to be back in Hungary this week, but his breakthrough victory there last year remains a lesson for McLaren as it tries to manage his title fight with teammate Lando Norris.

It's all the more important now. Piastri has developed into a genuine title contender over the last year and leads Norris by 16 points following his victory in Belgium last week.

“I have a lot of confidence in myself that I can do it,” the Australian said of his title chances Thursday. “The pace in the last few weekends, especially (Belgium), I’ve been very confident in and very proud of. I’m more than capable of continuing that for the rest of the year.”

McLaren can reach some milestones this weekend, with a potential 200th win in F1 for the team. It could also be Piastri and Norris' fourth one-two finish in a row, a feat McLaren last managed in 1988.

Norris was fastest in both of Friday's practice sessions as McLaren led the way once again. Piastri was second by just .019 of a second in the first practice session and .291 in the second. Charles Leclerc was third fastest for Ferrari in both sessions.

It was a tough day for Max Verstappen, who on Thursday committed to stay with Red Bull for 2026. He was ninth in the first session and 14th in the second, and said that piloting his unbalanced car felt like “driving on ice.”

Worse, Verstappen found himself facing an investigation from the stewards after he found a towel inside his cockpit and threw it out of the car while going at speed. The defending champion and Red Bull were asked to report to the stewards over the incident, but the team was let off with a warning.

Verstappen told stewards the face towel had slipped from his lap and that team officials were unaware it was still in his car when he was sent out on the track.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has a back injury and missed the first practice session for treatment before being medically cleared to carry on. Alonso was fifth in the second session, one place behind his teammate Lance Stroll.

Piastri took the win last year in Hungary, but only after McLaren had to plead over the radio with Norris to “do the right thing” and let Piastri past, something the British driver was reluctant to do.

Piastri had been leading but McLaren's pit strategy — which would normally favor the leader — had put Norris ahead. Piastri thinks the team can still take positives from that situation.

“I think it underlined the good nature in the team. It was obviously a slightly awkward situation, but it highlighted that we will do the right thing in all circumstances -- well, ideally all circumstances -- when we’re on track,” Piastri said.

“It showed the trust that we have with the team and with each other as well, that things will be put the right way.”

F1 has a history of title fights turning team relationships sour — not least at McLaren with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost over 30 years ago — but Piastri and Norris have kept their rivalry friendly. Even so, there’s been a collision in Canada, a near-miss in Austria and Piastri's rejected request for Norris to give up the lead in Britain.

Piastri said one factor preventing his relationship with Norris from deteriorating is that both are committed to keeping McLaren on top in F1 for “many years to come.”

“We’ve all seen how it can go wrong, but we have a lot of reasons to push for it to not go wrong,” he added.

F1 could be set for its third wet race in a row Sunday after a rain-delayed start last week in Belgium divided opinion among drivers and fans.

Max Verstappen argued that “we could have started way sooner” and said the lack of racing in wet conditions was “a shame”, but Piastri and others pointed to the poor visibility and particular safety concerns at the high-speed Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

“(Visibility) is always much worse in the car than it looks on TV, and I think the FIA has done a very good job of listening to us and taking that feedback on board,” Piastri said. “The feeling in this room would be pretty different if we had a big crash last week.”

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands sits in his car during the second free practice at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands walks through the paddock at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the first free practice at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia steers his car during the first free practice at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia walks through the paddock at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia reacts during a press conference at the Hungaroring racetrack, in Mogyoród, Hungary, Thursday, July 31, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia talks to the media at the Hungaroring racetrack, in Mogyoród, Hungary, Thursday, July 31, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss Iran's deadly protests at the request of the United States, even as President Donald Trump left unclear what actions he would take against the Islamic state.

Tehran appeared to make conciliatory statements in an effort to defuse the situation after Trump threatened to take action to stop further killing of protesters, including the execution of anyone detained in Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

Iran’s crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation early Thursday and some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to “temporary halt” travel to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country.

Iran previously closed its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June.

Here is the latest:

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken with his counterpart in Iran, who said the situation was “now stable,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Abbas Araghchi said “he hoped China will play a greater role in regional peace and stability” during the talks, according to the statement from the ministry.

“China opposes imposing its will on other countries, and opposes a return to the ‘law of the jungle’,” Wang said.

“China believes that the Iranian government and people will unite, overcome difficulties, maintain national stability, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests,” he added. “China hopes all parties will cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue. China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.”

“We are against military intervention in Iran,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Istanbul on Thursday. “Iran must address its own internal problems… They must address their problems with the region and in global terms through diplomacy so that certain structural problems that cause economic problems can be addressed.”

Ankara and Tehran enjoy warm relations despite often holding divergent interests in the region.

Fidan said the unrest in Iran was rooted in economic conditions caused by sanctions, rather than ideological opposition to the government.

Iranians have been largely absent from an annual pilgrimage to Baghdad, Iraq, to commemorate the death of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, one of the twelve Shiite imams.

Many Iranian pilgrims typically make the journey every year for the annual religious rituals.

Streets across Baghdad were crowded with pilgrims Thursday. Most had arrived on foot from central and southern provinces of Iraq, heading toward the shrine of Imam al-Kadhim in the Kadhimiya district in northern Baghdad,

Adel Zaidan, who owns a hotel near the shrine, said the number of Iranian visitors this year compared to previous years was very small. Other residents agreed.

“This visit is different from previous ones. It lacks the large numbers of Iranian pilgrims, especially in terms of providing food and accommodation,” said Haider Al-Obaidi.

Europe’s largest airline group said Thursday it would halt night flights to and from Tel Aviv and Jordan's capital Amman for five days, citing security concerns as fears grow that unrest in Iran could spiral into wider regional violence.

Lufthansa — which operates Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings — said flights would run only during daytime hours from Thursday through Monday “due to the current situation in the Middle East.” It said the change would ensure its staff — which includes unionized cabin crews and pilots -- would not be required to stay overnight in the region.

The airline group also said its planes would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace, key corridors for air travel between the Middle East and Asia.

Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for several hours early Thursday without explanation.

A spokesperson for Israel’s Airport Authority, which oversees Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, said the airport was operating as usual.

Iranian state media has denied claims that a young man arrested during Iran’s recent protests was condemned to death. The statement from Iran’s judicial authorities on Thursday contradicted what it said were “opposition media abroad” which claimed the young man had been quickly sentenced to death during a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in the country.

State television didn’t immediately give any details beyond his name, Erfan Soltani. Iranian judicial authorities said Soltani was being held in a detention facility outside of the capital. Alongside other protesters, he has been accused of “propaganda activities against the regime,” state media said.

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Thursday that his government was “appalled by the escalation of violence and repression” in Iran.

“We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Iran’s security forces, including the killing of protesters,” Peters posted on X.

“Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information – and that right is currently being brutally repressed,” he said.

Peters said his government had expressed serious concerns to the Iranian Embassy in Wellington.

A demonstrator lights a cigarette with a burning poster depicting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of Iran's anti-government protests, in Holon, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)