Lando Norris Edges Lewis Hamilton for Hungarian GP Pole

Qualifying Thriller: Norris Edges Hamilton by Milliseconds

McLaren driver Lando Norris snatched pole position in a dramatic final session on Saturday, clocking the fastest lap of one minute 17.207 seconds to edge out Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 0.012 seconds during qualifying at the Hungaroring. The performance broke Mercedes’ unbeaten grand prix pole streak for the season and secured Norris his first Saturday pole since Las Vegas last season. Hamilton finished second, while his teammate Charles Leclerc completed the top three. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished fourth, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in fifth and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in sixth.

Hamilton had led after the first runs in the final phase of qualifying before Norris produced the fastest lap of the session to take pole. Hamilton had looked poised after setting a provisional leading time of 1m17.219s on his opening Q3 run. But track evolution and a late push from the defending world champion altered the standings. Norris lost time in a large slide at the final corner on his earlier attempt, yet on the final run the McLaren driver improved through the middle sector and kept his tyres alive across the slippery closing sequence to secure top spot.

Hamilton had finished second, while his teammate Charles Leclerc completed the top three with 1m17.445s, ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, whose 1m17.479s left him fourth. Oscar Piastri qualified fifth in 1m17.684s after trailing team-mate Norris, and Max Verstappen took sixth with 1m17.725s despite spinning on his last run and causing yellow flags at the last corner. Heading into Budapest, the Silver Arrows had claimed every pole position this year, with Kimi Antonelli taking six and George Russell four. Ferrari had arrived at the Hungaroring looking like the team to beat after topping both Friday practice sessions, appearing well suited to a circuit where mechanical grip and medium-speed corners matter far more than outright engine performance. Charles Leclerc started from pole here last year, Hamilton achieved the same in 2023, and Ferrari looked well placed to continue that trend, while McLaren had quietly built momentum throughout the weekend.

The margins were tiny and for a moment it seemed Lewis Hamilton had finally found his edge in qualifying, only for the seven-time champion to be beaten by but a breath. The defending world champion, Lando Norris, pipped him to pole for the Hungarian Grand Prix in a thrilling, dramatic contest. Worse was to follow for Hamilton as his very real chance of converting a front-row start to a win in his hugely competitive Ferrari took a severe blow as he was penalised three grid places for impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during their final laps. Hamilton will start from fifth place. Norris took the top spot for McLaren by one-hundredth of a second from Hamilton’s Ferrari, but the latter’s place on the front row remained in doubt, as he was under investigation by the FIA.

Hamilton said he had been informed by the team that Piastri was closing on him only when the McLaren was already right behind him and that he did not know anyone was still on a hot lap behind him. Hamilton admitted straight after Qualifying: I think my mind is just elsewhere right this second, because once I’d finished my lap, I don’t know if I got in the way of so…

Grid Penalties Shuffle the Order for Sunday

Lewis Hamilton and world championship leader Kimi Antonelli have been given penalties to shuffle the order at the top end of the Hungarian Grand Prix grid. Ferrari’s Hamilton was first handed a three-place demotion from second place in the hours after qualifying for impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at the end of Q3. That initially dropped the Ferrari driver behind Antonelli, who had originally qualified fourth, before the Mercedes driver was then handed a three-place demotion himself for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags when Max Verstappen spun at the last corner. Hamilton will now start fifth and Antonelli – who leads the Briton by 45 points at the top of the Drivers’ Championship – seventh, behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton has received a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix after he impeded Oscar Piastri during Qualifying, with the Briton originally claiming P2 during the session. As the top-10 drivers prepared for their final laps, Ferrari looked to be in direct competition with McLaren’s Lando Norris for pole position, and it was Hamilton who provisionally took the top spot. However, Norris found the time he needed to qualify P1 for the first time this season, relegating the 41-year-old to second place before it was then revealed that Hamilton would be investigated after Qualifying. The incident unfolded as Piastri was trying to improve on his last attempt, which Hamilton was unaware of. He blocked the Australian at Turn 1, forcing him to go over track limits, abort his lap and settle for P5.

However, Hamilton and Antonelli were both handed three-place grid penalties, with Hamilton penalized for impeding Piastri, and Antonelli for failing to slow down enough under a yellow flag. The penalties mean that Hamilton will start at fifth and Antonelli at seventh on the grid in Sunday’s race.

Revised Top 10 Starting Grid

Hungarian GP grid: Revised top 10:
1) Lando Norris, McLaren
2) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
6) George Russell, Mercedes
7) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
8) Isack Hadjar

Circuit History and Context

Not only is the Hungaroring shining in new splendour this year following extensive refurbishment work, but the corners have now also been given new names. Many Formula 1 legends are being honoured in the process. Last year, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, fans were given the chance to vote on what the 14 corners of the Hungaroring should be called in future, to mark the circuit’s 40th anniversary. The result is a colourful mix of Formula 1 legends and local flavour. Corner 1 is named Piquet, as Nelson Piquet won the first two Hungarian Grands Prix in 1986 and 1987, and it was here that he pulled off his legendary overtaking manoeuvre against Ayrton Senna in 1986. Turn 2 is named Hamilton, as Lewis Hamilton is the record holder for wins at the Hungaroring, having racked up an impressive eight Grand Prix victories and nine pole positions at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He recently said in an interview that, should a corner at the track ever bear his name, Turn 2 would be a fitting location.