Lando Norris snatched Hungarian Grand Prix pole position from Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finale to qualifying in Budapest. Hamilton appeared on course for his first Grand Prix pole since the same event three years ago, leading Norris by a tenth after the first Q3 runs, but Norris improved on his second lap to edge 12 thousandths of a second ahead. The McLaren driver’s breakthrough ended Hamilton’s bid and gave Norris a 17th career pole.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who leads Hamilton by 45 points in the Drivers’ Championship, settled for fourth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Oscar Piastri finished fifth ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who spun at the final corner on his last flying lap, adding to the drama. George Russell took seventh but suffered a Mercedes breakdown on his in‑lap, while both Hamilton and Antonelli face post‑session investigations for impeding Piastri and insufficient slowing under yellow flags.
Norris said the qualifying was tough, crediting the recent upgrade package that helped McLaren’s previously underwhelming car. British rookie Arvid Lindblad claimed ninth for Racing Bulls, Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten for Audi, and Fernando Alonso used his heavily upgraded Aston Martin to reach Q2, starting 16th. The session marked a significant swing in form ahead of the race.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing