Lando Norris injected fresh optimism into McLaren's campaign by showcasing the potential of their newly upgraded car during the final practice round at the Hungarian Grand Prix. In a striking display of speed, the British driver managed to outpace the Friday session leader, Lewis Hamilton, as well as Mercedes’ championship‑contending Kimi Antonelli, hinting that a pole position could be within reach for the team this weekend. Ferrari entered Saturday’s qualifying battle as the clear front‑runners after a dominant first day of practice, where they consistently posted the quickest lap times. Yet, despite staying firmly in the mix, the Scuderia’s advantage was eroded in the last hour of the final practice, when the reigning world champions seized the initiative.
Norris initially posted a lap that placed him second behind Hamilton after both drivers completed their opening runs on soft tyres. However, on his second flying lap he extracted an even greater performance, recording a 1:17.939 – a margin of 0.117 seconds ahead of his Ferrari rival, propelling McLaren to the top of the timing sheets.
After a challenging Friday that saw several setbacks, Antonelli managed to re‑establish himself among the leaders, securing the third‑fastest time and finishing just 0.129 seconds shy of Norris’s benchmark. His resurgence underscored the competitive nature of the session, where even a driver who struggled earlier could quickly climb back into contention. In contrast, George Russell, who had been expected to provide a strong showing for Mercedes, continued to encounter difficulties.
He ultimately recorded the sixth‑fastest time, a full 0.6 seconds slower than Norris’s impressive lap, indicating that the team still has work to do in extracting maximum performance from their current package. Charles Leclerc, driving the second Ferrari, was positioned fourth on the board, trailing Norris by roughly 0.3 seconds. McLaren’s other hopeful, Oscar Piastri, occupied fifth place, sitting just a tenth of a second further back. The Red Bull duo, meanwhile, faced a more demanding session: Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar could only manage seventh and eighth fastest times respectively, suggesting that the Hungarian circuit’s high‑speed layout may be exposing some weaknesses in their setup.
Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle summed up the atmosphere, noting, "It's so close, as it always is here. It bodes incredibly well for this afternoon." His comment captured the tight margins and the anticipation building toward the qualifying shootout.
Beyond the front of the grid, the midfield battle appeared to be heating up. Racing Bulls, represented by Liam Lawson, secured ninth place, while Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg followed closely in tenth. Arvid Lindblad, also driving for Racing Bulls, logged only six laps due to a power‑unit change that confined the British rookie to the final minutes of the session, resulting in a 13th‑place finish.
Cadillac encountered its own drama when a brake fire forced Sergio Perez to abandon his lap at Turn One, pulling into the runoff area. The incident prevented the Mexican driver from returning to the track for the remainder of the practice, highlighting the technical challenges teams continue to face on the demanding Hungarian layout. Lance Stroll, piloting a heavily upgraded Aston Martin, finally returned to the circuit after missing the second Friday session because a rear‑suspension failure had spun him off in opening practice.
The new‑look AMR26, which has spent much of the season languishing at the back of the grid, demonstrated noticeable progress. It out‑qualified both Williams and Cadillac, with Fernando Alonso posting a 17th‑fastest time and Stroll in 18th, merely 2.4 seconds off the session’s overall pace. This improvement suggests that Adrian Newey’s team may finally be unlocking the performance they have been chasing all year. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed with action.
On Saturday, the F2 sprint will kick off at 1:10 pm, followed by the build‑up to the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying at 2:15 pm, and the qualifying session itself at 3:00 pm. Later in the afternoon, at 5:00 pm, Ted’s Qualifying Notebook will provide analysis and insights. Sunday’s program is equally busy: the F3 feature race begins at 7:35 am, the Porsche Supercup at 9:05 am, and the F2 feature race at 10:20 am. The main Grand Prix build‑up starts at 12:30 pm, leading into the Hungarian Grand Prix itself at 2:00 pm.
After the race, a reaction segment will air at 4:00 pm, followed by Ted’s Notebook at 5:00 pm. All events will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW for viewers who prefer an online platform without a long‑term contract. In summary, Norris’s blistering lap in the final practice not only gave McLaren a morale boost but also signaled that the team’s recent upgrades are beginning to pay dividends.
With the field tightly packed and several manufacturers showing signs of progress, the upcoming qualifying and race promise to be highly competitive, offering fans a thrilling showcase of skill, engineering, and strategy on the historic streets of Budapest.