Lando Norris seized pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix with a stunning late lap, while Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli were both hit with grid penalties after separate incidents in qualifying at the Hungaroring.
The McLaren driver produced a 1m 17.207s lap in the closing moments of Q3 to beat Hamilton by just 0.012 seconds, perfectly timing his run to avoid yellow flags caused by a spinning Max Verstappen and a stranded George Russell.
However, Hamilton's hopes of starting alongside Norris on the front row were dashed when stewards handed the Ferrari driver a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during the final runs. The penalty drops Hamilton from second to fifth on the grid, promoting Charles Leclerc to second and Piastri to third.
Antonelli, the championship leader, was also penalised three places for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags triggered by Verstappen's spin at the final corner. The Mercedes driver slips from fourth to seventh, behind George Russell.
Verstappen's Q3 was ruined by the spin at Turn 14, the Dutchman complaining that his Red Bull was "completely broken" after struggling with unpredictable handling throughout the session. He will start fourth following the penalties, with Russell sixth.
McLaren's upgraded MCL40 looked competitive from the outset, with Norris topping every practice session before delivering when it mattered most. "Very happy to be back on top," said Norris. "Especially at a track where you certainly want to be on pole."
Isack Hadjar qualified eighth for Red Bull, ahead of Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, who completed the top ten. Liam Lawson missed Q3 by just 0.126 seconds and will start 11th.
The Hungarian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday at 15:00 local time.
Sources
- https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/norris-snatches-pole-position-from-hamilton-in-gripping-hungarian-gp-qualifying.6FcjwTeRfUdjidtY0vkKZN
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/c4gv02vyzv4o
