Lando Norris secured pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix with a stunning lap in qualifying. The McLaren driver, narrowly missing out on the pole at Silverstone, claimed the top spot with a time of 1:15.227, holding onto the provisional lead after a red flag caused by Yuki Tsunoda’s crash halted the session.
Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri, joined him on the front row, less than a tenth behind, making it an all-McLaren affair. Max Verstappen, who briefly led the session, was relegated to third, with Carlos Sainz claiming fourth for Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton, despite a near Q2 exit, qualified fifth, while Charles Leclerc overcame a FP2 crash to secure sixth. Rain disrupted qualifying, with a damp track catching out several drivers.
Sergio Perez’s woes continued as he spun into the barriers, bringing out a red flag and compounding his recent struggles. George Russell, a recent pole-sitter, also suffered a setback, qualifying outside Q2 due to a lack of fuel.
Perez and Russell will start 16th and 17th respectively. Despite the challenges, Ricciardo and Tsunoda impressed, reaching Q3 for their respective teams.
Haas endured a difficult session, with Hulkenberg and Magnussen qualifying 11th and 15th. Alpine’s strategy backfired as both Gasly and Ocon were eliminated in Q1, starting last and 19th.
