Lando Norris grabbed his first grand prix pole position of the season in Hungary, delivering a clutch final lap to beat Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by an unbelievable 0.012 seconds. That’s right, a hair’s breadth. Hamilton had been quicker on his first run in Q3, over 0.1 seconds ahead of Norris, but neither the seven-time champion nor his teammate Charles Leclerc could improve when it truly mattered. Norris, meanwhile, pulled out the magic on the very last lap of a chaotic session.
Verstappen’s Spin and Hamilton’s Frustration
The end of the session was a wild ride, kicked off by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spinning at the final corner. That error messed with Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, forcing them to slow down and ultimately landing them fourth and seventh, respectively. Verstappen got his car going again, but Norris, as the final driver on track, was able to seize the opportunity in his upgraded McLaren. Norris was stoked, saying he was “very happy to be back on top, especially at a track where you certainly want to be on pole.” He even admitted his Q3 laps “were not the best, even the one at the end, so pleasantly surprised to be on top.”
Hamilton, though, was absolutely fuming. His second run was a full second slower than his first, and he wasn’t happy about being sent out first. He also faces an investigation for potentially impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at Turn One after finishing his final lap. Hamilton explained he had a “snap” into Turn One on that final lap and was immediately 0.15 seconds down, admitting, “the last lap was the worst lap of all… We clearly had the car to be on pole today, and I just didn’t deliver. So that’s tough to swallow.” He claimed his team didn’t warn him about Piastri, saying he was told “literally when he was at the apex behind me, so I had no idea he was coming.” Antonelli also has a trip to the stewards coming for an alleged yellow-flag infringement.
Alonso’s Aston Martin Breakthrough
While the drama unfolded at the front, Fernando Alonso made a significant stride for Aston Martin. With a virtually new car, he broke out of the first qualifying session for the first time this season. He’ll start 16th, a full 2.8 seconds off pole, but that’s two seconds faster in relative pace than they’ve managed in ages. The veteran Spaniard, who turns 45 next week, felt “relieved” and “optimistic” that the team is finally understanding the car’s weaknesses. He mentioned previous updates early in the season “didn’t work much” and they’ve had “two years of disappointments of upgrades.” This could be a turning point, especially as Alonso faces a decision about his career after this season.
Tomorrow’s race is going to be electric. Can Norris hold his ground from pole? Will Hamilton channel his frustration into a comeback drive? And what can Alonso do with his ‘new’ Aston Martin? It’s all on the line.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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