Lando Norris injected fresh optimism into McLaren's campaign at the Hungarian Grand Prix by delivering a standout performance in the final practice session, suggesting that the team could finally contend for a pole position this season. In a thrilling showdown, Norris managed to outpace both the Friday session leader Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who is currently leading the championship battle, thereby positioning McLaren as a serious threat heading into Saturday's qualifying. The narrative heading into the weekend had been dominated by Ferrari, which had shown impressive speed during the opening practice and was widely tipped to seize pole. However, while the Scuderia remained firmly in the mix, the final hour of practice saw the reigning world champion team, Mercedes, and the upgraded McLaren briefly seize the spotlight.
Norris initially posted a time that placed him second behind Hamilton after each driver completed a first flying lap on the soft compound toward the session's close. Undeterred, the British driver extracted additional performance on his second attempt, registering a lap of 1:17.939.
This effort shaved 0.117 seconds off Antonelli's best time, propelling Norris to the top of the timesheet. Antonelli, who had endured a particularly challenging Friday, rebounded strongly and secured the third-fastest time, trailing Norris by a mere 0.129 seconds. His resurgence highlighted the competitive balance among the front runners as the weekend progressed.
In contrast, his teammate George Russell continued to struggle with pace, ultimately recording the sixth-fastest lap, which was about 0.6 seconds slower than Norris's impressive benchmark. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc posted a respectable fourth‑place time, sitting roughly 0.3 seconds off the leading pace, while McLaren's own Oscar Piastri was positioned just behind in fifth place. The Red Bull duo, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, encountered a relatively tougher session, ending up seventh and eighth respectively, indicating that the Hungarian circuit still presents unique challenges for the reigning champions.
Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle commented on the tightness of the field, stating, "It's so close, as it always is here. It bodes incredibly well for this afternoon," underscoring the excitement that the qualifying session is likely to generate. Beyond the front of the grid, the midfield battle appeared to be shaping around Racing Bulls and Audi. Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls claimed ninth place, edging out Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, who settled in tenth.
However, the British rookie Arvid Lindblad, also driving for Racing Bulls, could only complete six laps after a power‑unit change forced him to the garage for most of the session, leaving him in 13th overall. Cadillac faced its own set of difficulties when a brake fire forced Sergio Perez to abort his lap at Turn One, sending him into the run‑off area. The incident prevented the Mexican driver from rejoining the remainder of the practice, highlighting the reliability challenges that some teams continue to grapple with.
Lance Stroll, driving the heavily upgraded Aston Martin, made a notable return after missing the second Friday session due to a rear‑suspension failure that caused a spin in the opening practice. The new‑look AMR26, which has spent much of the season languishing at the back of the pack, showed signs of progress by outpacing both Williams and Cadillac, securing 17th for Fernando Alonso and 18th for Stroll, with a best time only 2.4 seconds shy of the session's fastest lap. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed with action: on Saturday, July 25, the F2 Sprint begins at 1:10 pm, followed by the Hungarian GP qualifying build‑up at 2:15 pm, the main qualifying session at 3:00 pm, and Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 5:00 pm. Sunday, July 26, features an F3 Feature Race at 7:35 am, the Porsche Supercup at 9:05 am, the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 am, and the Hungarian Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 pm, leading into the race itself at 2:00 pm, with post‑race analysis and commentary throughout the afternoon.
All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time. Fans can also stay updated through Sky Sports' WhatsApp service and enjoy additional content such as head‑to‑head team comparisons and real‑time timing data.
The Hungarian Grand Prix promises to be a decisive weekend, with McLaren's recent performance suggesting they may finally break through the dominance of Ferrari and Mercedes, while the midfield scramble continues to intensify among the likes of Racing Bulls, Audi, and the revitalised Aston Martin team.