A duel to the millimeter at the Hungaroring
Lando Norris took his first pole of the 2026 season, at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He beat Lewis Hamilton by just 0.012 seconds in a qualifying that left several penalties.
Hamilton appeared on track for his 105th pole, his first with Ferrari since joining the team. But Norris appeared at the last moment to snatch first place. “It’s been a while,” Norris said of his wait. “I felt confident all weekend.”
Norris confessed that he could have gone faster, but he made mistakes when pushing the car to the limit. “I took it into uncharted territory… I lost a little time in a couple of places.”
Charles Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, 0.238 seconds behind, but will start second due to penalties. Mercedes, dominant this year, had a difficult day. Kimi Antonelli was fourth and George Russell seventh.
Penalties that rearrange the grid
Hamilton received a three-position penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri. He fell to fifth place. Piastri complained: “Lewis doesn’t look in his mirrors.” Hamilton responded that he did not have the usual radio warning. “They literally told me when he was in the back. I had no idea… I thought everyone had finished their lap.”
Antonelli was also penalized three places for ignoring a yellow flag when passing Max Verstappen, who had spun. The stewards considered that his speed reduction was “insufficient and not sustained.” The Italian fell to seventh.
Norris will start from pole, followed by Leclerc. The Argentine Fabio Colapinto will start 13th with Alpine, and the Mexican Sergio Pérez will be last with Cadillac.
Norris’s last pole in a full grand prix was in Las Vegas 2025, but the next day he lost the lead to Verstappen and ended with a double disqualification from McLaren. His last victory in a full grand prix was in Sao Paulo, although he won the sprint in Miami this year.
