Lando Norris takes Hungarian Grand Prix pole; Hamilton starts fifth

Lando Norris secured pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. His final lap moved the McLaren ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton initially qualified second, but officials later moved him down three positions. Charles Leclerc therefore joins Norris on the front row.

Norris sets the early pace

Twenty-two drivers began qualifying under dry and warm conditions in Budapest. The larger 2026 field meant six drivers would leave after each opening phase.

Norris moved to the top during the first qualifying session with a clean lap on soft tyres. Antonelli followed in second, while Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull.

Hamilton and Leclerc used medium tyres during the opening part of qualifying. That choice still carried both Ferrari drivers safely into the next session.

Oscar Piastri advanced in the second McLaren after taking eighth place. Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto also moved forward for Audi.

Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad continued for Racing Bulls. Fernando Alonso claimed the final place in the second qualifying session for Aston Martin.

Oliver Bearman missed that position and ended qualifying in seventeenth. Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon followed after a difficult Williams session.

Lance Stroll placed behind them in the second Aston Martin. Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez filled the final row for Cadillac.

Six more drivers leave after the second session

The remaining sixteen drivers returned with ten places available in the final session. McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes kept both cars inside the leading group.

Verstappen and Isack Hadjar also progressed with both Red Bull cars. Arvid Lindblad earned another place in the final session for Racing Bulls.

Hulkenberg completed the group and gave Audi a place in the final session. Liam Lawson missed the final session by just over one tenth of a second.

Pierre Gasly took twelfth for Alpine after reaching the middle session. Franco Colapinto followed Gasly in the second Alpine.

Gabriel Bortoleto placed fourteenth in the second Audi. Esteban Ocon placed fifteenth for Haas after Bearman’s earlier elimination.

Alonso completed the second-session order in the upgraded Aston Martin. The result placed six different constructors inside the final ten. It also left both McLaren drivers in the fight for the first two rows.

Hamilton leads the opening final-session runs

Hamilton produced the strongest time during the first set of final-session attempts. The Ferrari looked composed through the slower middle sector of the circuit.

Norris stayed close and held second before the final runs began. Leclerc and Antonelli remained within reach after their opening laps.

Piastri occupied fifth in the second McLaren during the same sequence. Russell had reached the final session but lacked Antonelli’s pace in the first attempts.

Verstappen could not match the leading cars during the decisive phase. Hadjar, Lindblad and Hulkenberg completed their first laps behind that group.

The small gaps kept the front row undecided before the final attempts. Drivers returned to the pits for fresh tyres and one last run.

The final lap gives Norris pole

Norris improved during his last attempt and moved ahead of Hamilton. The lap converted McLaren’s strong final practice pace into pole position.

Hamilton could not recover first place during his final run. He initially secured second, only twelve thousandths behind Norris.

Leclerc qualified third in the second Ferrari. Antonelli took fourth and led the Mercedes pair.

Piastri secured fifth, four positions behind his McLaren teammate. Verstappen qualified sixth after spinning during his final attempt.

Russell took seventh after stopping near the first corner. Those incidents produced two late yellow flags during the final runs.

Norris completed his fastest lap before either warning affected his attempt. Hadjar followed in eighth for Red Bull.

Lindblad placed ninth for Racing Bulls. Hulkenberg completed the top ten for Audi.

Hamilton moves from second to fifth on the grid

Norris earned McLaren’s first Grand Prix pole of the 2026 season. His result followed the fastest time in Saturday’s final practice session.

Hamilton faced an investigation after blocking Piastri near the first corner. The Ferrari was moving slowly on the racing line after a fast lap.

Piastri was beginning another timed lap and had to leave the track. The McLaren driver then abandoned that attempt and remained fifth.

Officials reviewed video, telemetry and radio messages after qualifying. They moved Hamilton down three positions for unnecessary blocking.

The penalty moved Hamilton from second to fifth on the starting grid. Leclerc advanced one position and will start beside Norris.

Antonelli moved to third, while Piastri gained fourth place. Norris kept pole because the decision did not affect his qualifying result.

McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes now occupy the first three grid positions. The revised grid separates Hamilton from Norris before the opening corner.