Lando Norris delivered a stunning last-gasp lap to snatch pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, denying Lewis Hamilton a record-extending 10th pole at the Hungaroring by just 0.012 seconds.
The reigning world champion, who has been on pole six times already in 2026, produced the decisive moment in Q3 with a lap of 1m 17.207s that none of his rivals could match. Hamilton, seeking to become the first driver in F1 history to claim pole at the same circuit on ten occasions, held provisional pole after the first runs but could not improve on his final flying lap.
Charles Leclerc completed the top three in the second Ferrari, 0.238s adrift, while championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli could only manage fourth in his Mercedes — a surprising result given his six poles this season. Oscar Piastri was fifth in the sister McLaren, ahead of Max Verstappen, who dramatically spun at the final corner on his final flying lap. George Russell's session ended prematurely when his Mercedes stopped on track after the chequered flag, relegating him to seventh.
The session was not without controversy. Hamilton was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Piastri during Q3, dropping him to fifth on the grid. Antonelli also received a three-place penalty for speeding under yellow flags, which will see him start from seventh. This promotes Leclerc to second and Piastri to third, while Verstappen moves up to fourth.
Isack Hadjar impressed with eighth for Red Bull, ahead of Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg. Further down the order, Fernando Alonso finally showed signs of Aston Martin's improvement with the team's B-spec car, advancing to Q2 for the first time this season before qualifying 16th.
Norris was understandably delighted after the session. "I'm very, very happy — very happy to be back on top," said the McLaren driver. "A tough, tough quali. We brought a few upgrades and it's hard to know how much it helps in terms of lap time, but it certainly helped today."
The Hungarian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday at the Hungaroring, with Norris starting from pole ahead of Leclerc and Piastri.
Sources
- Crash.net: https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1101806/1/lando-norris-denies-lewis-hamilton-historic-f1-pole-hungary
- Formula 1 official: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/norris-snatches-pole-position-from-hamilton-in-gripping-hungarian-gp-qualifying.6FcjwTeRfUdjidtY0vkKZN
