Lando Norris of McLaren achieved his first grand prix pole position of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He secured the top spot by a narrow margin over Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the qualifying session.
Hamilton, however, received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate. This penalty moved Hamilton from second to fifth on the starting grid, impacting his potential for a ninth victory at the track.
Qualifying Session Highlights
Norris’s pole position came after a chaotic end to the session, which included a spin by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the final corner. Verstappen’s error affected Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who were forced to slow down.
Hamilton had initially been fastest on the first runs, ahead of Norris. However, neither Hamilton nor his teammate Charles Leclerc could improve on their final attempts. Leclerc was promoted to second on the grid due to Hamilton’s penalty, and Antonelli moved up to third.
Norris expressed his satisfaction, stating he was “very happy to be back on top, especially at a track where you certainly want to be on pole.” He added that he was “pleasantly surprised to be on top” as his laps in Q3 were not his best.
Hamilton, who was a second slower on his second run, voiced his disappointment, saying he “didn’t deliver” despite having “the car to be on pole today.” He also mentioned not being warned about Piastri’s approach by his team until it was too late.
Antonelli is also under investigation for an alleged yellow-flag infringement following Verstappen’s spin. Verstappen managed to secure sixth place on the grid, ahead of Russell and Isack Hadjar of Red Bull.
Aston Martin’s Progress and Alonso’s Outlook
Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin made a significant step forward, progressing out of the first qualifying session for the first time this season. This occurred on the weekend his team debuted a virtually new car.
Alonso will start 16th.
Alonso noted a change in optimism within the factory, despite previous upgrade disappointments. He faces a decision regarding his career beyond this season, acknowledging the potential of technical partner Adrian Newey to lead the team to future success, but questioning the timing.
Drivers faced challenges with the Hungaroring track surface, which was breaking up, particularly in the final two corners. Russell encountered a water leak on his final run, which sprayed water onto his rear tyres, leading Mercedes to instruct him to pull over immediately after crossing the line to prevent engine damage.
Antonelli commented on the tyre situation, stating that the car felt “a bit more alive” in Q3 after making a good step. He acknowledged the shame of the yellow flags but noted that third place was achievable, though not pole position.
The top 10 qualifiers are: Lando Norris (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) who will start fifth due to a grid penalty, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), George Russell (Mercedes), Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), and Nico Hulkenberg (Audi).
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Source: bbc.co.uk
