Norris Snatches Pole from Hamilton in Thrilling Hungarian GP Qualifying

Sports

Lando Norris produced a sensational final flying lap to snatch pole position from Lewis Hamilton in the closing seconds of Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. The McLaren driver denied the Ferrari star a record-extending 10th pole at the Hungaroring by just 0.012 seconds, delivering one of the most dramatic qualifying finishes of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Norris set a stunning lap of 1:17.207 to edge Hamilton at the very end of Q3, ending Mercedes’ recent qualifying dominance and handing McLaren a crucial pole position heading into Sunday’s race.

Hamilton looked set to secure another memorable pole after delivering an outstanding lap for Ferrari, but Norris found extra pace on his final attempt to snatch the top spot in dramatic fashion. Charles Leclerc continued Ferrari’s impressive form by qualifying third, ensuring the Scuderia placed both cars inside the top three.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for Mercedes after another consistent performance, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured fifth to give the team two cars inside the top five and a strong opportunity in the race.

The closing moments of qualifying also featured drama for Max Verstappen, who spun on his final flying lap and was unable to improve his time. The incident brought out yellow flags, affecting several drivers on their final runs and leaving the Red Bull driver to settle for sixth on the grid.

George Russell qualified seventh after missing the chance to improve on his final lap, while Isack Hadjar continued his impressive rookie campaign by taking eighth. Arvid Lindblad finished ninth with another strong qualifying performance, and Nico Hülkenberg rounded out the top ten for Audi.

The result marks Norris’ return to pole position at a crucial stage of the season and gives McLaren a golden opportunity to challenge for victory before Formula 1 heads into its summer break. Despite starting fourth, Antonelli remains firmly in control of the Drivers’ Championship following his dominant run of results, while Mercedes continue to lead the Constructors’ standings.

With McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all showing impressive pace throughout the weekend, Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix is set to deliver another thrilling chapter in the 2026 Formula 1 season, where strategy, tyre management and track position are expected to play decisive roles.