Lando Norris delivered a powerful statement of intent for McLaren in Hungary, showcasing the potential of the team's upgraded package by outpacing both Lewis Hamilton, who had set the early benchmark on Friday, and Mercedes' championship‑leading driver Kimi Antonelli during the final practice run. Norris' performance injected fresh optimism that McLaren could contend for their first pole position of the season, a milestone that has thus far eluded them. The narrative heading into Saturday’s qualifying had been dominated by Ferrari, which had appeared the overwhelming favorite after a dominant showing in the opening practice session. While the Scuderia remained firmly in the mix at the front of the field, the final hour of practice saw the reigning world champions seize the initiative, temporarily displacing the Italian squad from the top spot.
Initially, Norris found himself second quickest behind Hamilton after each driver completed a flying lap on soft tyres toward the close of the session. However, on his second attempt, Norris extracted a remarkable lap time of 1:17.939, shaving 0.117 seconds off the time set by his Ferrari rival and propelling himself to the summit of the timesheet. This improvement underscored the rapid progress McLaren has made with their recent aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades, and it demonstrated that the team can extract genuine pace when the car is pushed to its limits. Kimi Antonelli, after a surprisingly challenging Friday, re‑established himself among the front‑runners and posted the third‑fastest time, just 0.129 seconds shy of Norris' benchmark.
His resurgence added another layer of intrigue to the midfield battle, confirming that the Mercedes‑powered driver remains a threat despite earlier setbacks. Conversely, George Russell continued to encounter difficulties, ultimately finishing sixth fastest and trailing Norris by a substantial 0.6 seconds. This gap highlighted the inconsistency that has plagued Russell’s weekend and suggested that his car may still be grappling with balance or tyre‑temperature issues.
In the second Ferrari, Charles Leclerc was positioned fourth, trailing the leading time by roughly 0.3 seconds. Oscar Piastri, representing McLaren, occupied fifth place, a mere tenth of a second behind Leclerc, indicating that McLaren’s overall package is competitive across both of its drivers.
The Red Bull duo, however, endured a tougher session; Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar could only manage seventh and eighth fastest laps respectively, suggesting that the Hungaroring’s technical sections may be limiting the aerodynamic advantage typically enjoyed by the Austrian team. Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle summed up the atmosphere succinctly, noting, "It's so close, as it always is here.
It bodes incredibly well for this afternoon." His comment reflected the tight margins that have become a hallmark of the Hungarian Grand Prix, where fractions of a second can dictate grid positions. Beyond the front of the field, the midfield contest appeared to be shaping up as a showdown between Racing Bulls and Audi. Liam Lawson, piloting the Racing Bulls entry, secured ninth place, while Nico Hulkenberg in the Audi occupied tenth, indicating a close rivalry for the best of the non‑top‑tier teams.
Arvid Lindblad, also driving for Racing Bulls, posted the thirteenth‑fastest time after completing only six laps. His limited running was a direct consequence of a power‑unit change performed in the garage, which forced the British rookie to sit out most of the session and only return for the final minutes. Cadillac faced its own set of challenges when a brake fire forced Sergio Perez to abort his lap at Turn One, ending up in the runoff area. The incident prevented the Mexican driver from re‑joining the remainder of the practice, underscoring the importance of reliability and brake management on the demanding Budapest circuit.
Lance Stroll, driving the heavily upgraded Aston Martin, finally returned to the track after missing the second Friday session due to a rear‑suspension failure that caused a spin in opening practice. The new‑look AMR26, which has struggled throughout much of the season, demonstrated a marked improvement by out‑qualifying both Williams and Cadillac. Stroll recorded a seventeenth‑fastest time, while teammate Fernando Alonso placed eighteenth, both only 2.4 seconds off the overall pace, hinting at a possible resurgence for the Adrian Newey‑led outfit. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed with action.
On Saturday, July 25, the F2 Sprint will kick off at 1:10 pm, followed by the build‑up to Hungarian GP qualifying at 2:15 pm, with the qualifying session itself slated for 3:00 pm. Later, at 5:00 pm, Ted’s Qualifying Notebook will provide expert analysis of the session’s outcomes. Sunday, July 26, promises a full day of racing across multiple categories.
The F3 Feature Race begins at 7:35 am, succeeded by the Porsche Supercup at 9:05 am, and the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 am. The Hungarian Grand Prix build‑up starts at 12:30 pm, leading into the main event at 2:00 pm.
The race will conclude with the chequered flag at 4:00 pm, followed by post‑race reactions and Ted’s Notebook at 5:00 pm. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a contract and the option to cancel at any time.
In summary, Norris’ blistering lap in the final practice not only elevated McLaren to the top of the timesheets but also signaled a potential shift in the competitive order for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The close margins among the leading drivers, combined with the ongoing midfield battles and technical issues faced by several teams, set the stage for an exciting qualifying and race weekend. Fans can look forward to a tightly contested showdown, where the upgraded McLaren may finally break through for a pole position, and the entire grid will be vying for every tenth of a second on the historic Budapest street circuit.