Lando Norris handed McLaren a fresh surge of optimism that they might finally clinch their inaugural pole position of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, thanks to a standout performance in the final practice session. In a dramatic turn, the young Brit outpaced Friday’s fastest driver, Lewis Hamilton, as well as Mercedes' championship‑leading contender Kimi Antonelli, showcasing the potential of McLaren’s newly upgraded package. The early part of the weekend had seen Ferrari dominate the narrative. Their strong showing in the opening practice had positioned them as the clear favourites heading into Saturday’s qualifying battle.
However, while the Scuderia remained firmly in the mix throughout the day, the final hour of practice saw the reigning world champions seize the initiative, reshuffling the order at the top of the timesheet. Norris initially posted a solid lap that placed him second behind Hamilton after both drivers completed their first soft‑tyre runs toward the close of the session.
Yet the McLaren driver quickly found an extra gear on his second flying lap, delivering a blistering 1:17.939. This time was enough to edge out his Ferrari rival by 0.117 seconds, catapulting Norris to the top of the practice rankings.
Kimi Antonelli, who had endured a particularly challenging Friday, managed to re‑establish himself among the front‑runners, posting the third‑fastest time, just 0.129 seconds shy of Norris’s benchmark. His resurgence added another layer of intrigue to the midfield battle.
Meanwhile, George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate, continued to face difficulties. He ultimately recorded the sixth‑fastest time, trailing Norris by roughly 0.6 seconds, a gap that highlighted the varying performance levels within the Mercedes camp. In the second Ferrari, Charles Leclerc was a further 0.3 seconds off Norris’s pace, securing fourth place, while McLaren’s other driver, Oscar Piastri, occupied fifth, a tenth of a second behind Leclerc. The Red Bull duo, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, struggled to match the front‑row speed, ending the session in seventh and eighth positions respectively.
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 underscored the tight competition and the promise of an exciting qualifying session. Beyond the leading pack, the midfield fight appeared to be shaping around Racing Bulls and Audi. Liam Lawson, representing Racing Bulls, secured ninth place, while Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg followed in tenth.
Arvid Lindblad, also with Racing Bulls, recorded a thirteenth‑fastest time after completing only six laps; a power‑unit change in the garage had forced the British rookie to sit out most of the session. Cadillac experienced a setback when a brake fire forced Sergio Perez to abort his lap at Turn One, pulling into the run‑off area. The incident prevented the Mexican driver from rejoining the remainder of the practice, highlighting the technical challenges some teams continue to face. Lance Stroll, driving a heavily upgraded Aston Martin, finally returned to the track after missing the second Friday session due to a rear‑suspension failure that had caused a spin in the opening practice.
The new‑look AMR26, which has spent much of the season languishing at the back of the grid, showed encouraging signs by outpacing both Williams and Cadillac. Stroll recorded 18th place, while teammate Fernando Alonso placed 17th, with their best time sitting 2.4 seconds off the overall fastest lap. The schedule for the remainder of the weekend promises a packed programme.
On Saturday, July 25, the day will begin with the F2 Sprint at 1:10 pm, followed by the build‑up to the Hungarian GP Qualifying at 2:15 pm. The main qualifying session is slated for 3:00 pm, with Ted’s Qualifying Notebook airing at 5:00 pm.
Sunday, July 26, will feature the F3 Feature Race at 7:35 am, the Porsche Supercup at 9:05 am, and the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 am. The Hungarian Grand Prix build‑up will commence at 12:30 pm, leading into the race itself at 2:00 pm, followed by post‑race analysis and reaction segments.
All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to stream via NOW without a long‑term contract. Fans can also stay updated through Sky Sports on WhatsApp, ensuring they never miss a moment of the action. In summary, Norris’s performance in the final practice not only gave McLaren a realistic shot at a pole position but also injected fresh excitement into a weekend that has already delivered drama, technical challenges, and a reshuffling of the competitive order.
As the qualifying session approaches, the motorsport world will be watching closely to see whether the British driver can convert his practice speed into a pole‑winning lap, and how the rest of the field will respond to the shifting dynamics on the Budapest circuit.