Lando Norris of McLaren managed to clinch pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, edging out Lewis Hamilton by a razor‑thin margin of just 0.012 seconds. The British driver’s achievement came after Hamilton, who had seemed poised to claim his first pole at the Hungaroring since 2023, was later relegated from second to fifth on the starting grid because of a penalty for obstructing his teammate Oscar Piastri during the final qualifying session. During the opening segment of Q3, Hamilton posted a time that was a tenth of a second faster than Norris, appearing to be on track for a historic pole. However, the conditions on the circuit shifted and Norris found an extra fraction of a second on his last flying lap while the rest of the field could not improve.
That tiny improvement was enough to push him ahead of Hamilton by 0.012 seconds, securing his 17th career pole and the first for McLaren since the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November 2025. The final grid order was dramatically reshaped by two separate penalties.
Hamilton’s infraction involved impeding Oscar Piastri, who was on his own final lap when Hamilton slowed unexpectedly in the first corner. As a result, the FIA handed Hamilton a three‑place grid drop, moving him from the provisional second spot to fifth.
Meanwhile, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who had qualified fourth, was handed a three‑place penalty for failing to adequately reduce speed under yellow‑flag conditions that were deployed after Max Verstappen’s spin at the final corner. Antonelli will therefore line up seventh on race day. The revised top ten looks as follows: 1) Lando Norris (McLaren), 2) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 3) Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 4) Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 5) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 6) George Russell (Mercedes), 7) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 8) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), 9) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), 10) Nico Hülkenberg (Audi).
Both Hamilton and Antonelli carry an asterisk to denote their three‑place penalties. Norris expressed delight at the result, noting that McLaren had introduced a significant aerodynamic upgrade package for the weekend. "It’s been a tough qualifying session – the Ferraris were very quick and the whole weekend has been tight," Norris said.
"We brought a few upgrades, and while it’s hard to quantify exactly how much they helped, they certainly gave us an edge today. I’m thrilled to be back on top, especially at a circuit where pole position is so valuable." The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend also featured notable performances from other drivers.
British rookie Arvid Lindblad continued his impressive form for Racing Bulls by finishing ninth, while former Formula One regular Nico Hülkenberg secured tenth place for Audi. Fernando Alonso, driving for Aston Martin, finally broke into Q2 after a series of under‑performances, highlighting the progress of the team’s heavily upgraded car. Although Alonso will start 16th after being the slowest in Q2, his qualifying run suggests that Aston Martin may be on an upward trajectory ahead of the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix, where Honda plans to introduce a major power‑unit upgrade.
George Russell’s qualifying was hampered by a power‑unit failure that forced him to stop on track at the end of the session. Fortunately for the Mercedes driver, the team was able to replace the engine without incurring a penalty, allowing him to start from sixth – ahead of his teammate Hamilton after the latter’s penalty.
Hamilton, who has dominated the early part of the 2026 season with seven race wins, reflected on his disappointing qualifying performance. "The last lap was the worst lap of all, and the other laps were really good," he admitted. "We clearly had the car to be on pole today, and that just didn’t deliver, so that’s tough to swallow." He also explained the circumstances of the impeding incident, saying he was unaware that Piastri was still on his flying lap when he slowed in the first corner. "I was told literally when he was at the apex behind me, so I had no idea he was coming.
I thought everyone came out behind me. I was the first out, so I thought everyone had finished the lap," Hamilton explained.
The penalties handed to Hamilton and Antonelli have significant implications for the Drivers’ Championship. Antonelli currently leads the standings by 45 points over Hamilton, and his grid drop could narrow that margin if he struggles to recover positions during the race.
Conversely, Hamilton’s fifth‑place start reduces his immediate chances of scoring maximum points, though a podium finish would still keep him firmly in contention. The race schedule for Sunday, July 26, includes a full day of support categories: the F3 Feature Race at 7:35 am, Porsche Supercup at 9:05 am, and the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 am, followed by the Grand Prix build‑up from 12:30 pm.
The Hungarian Grand Prix itself will start at 2:00 pm, with post‑race analysis, the chequered‑flag ceremony, and a special segment called "Ted’s Notebook" scheduled for the afternoon. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, with streaming available via the NOW platform.
In summary, the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session delivered a dramatic reshuffle of the starting grid, highlighted by Norris’s maiden pole of the season, Hamilton’s costly penalty, and Antonelli’s own grid drop. The race promises to be a pivotal moment in the 2026 championship, especially as teams test new upgrades and drivers fight for crucial points before the summer break.