Lando Norris snatched his first grand prix pole position of the season in Hungary, but the real fireworks went off for Lewis Hamilton, who got slammed with a three-place grid penalty. That huge hit for impeding Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri has dropped Hamilton to fifth on the grid, maybe even erasing his shot at a ninth victory on a track he’s absolutely owned for two decades. Talk about a gut punch for the seven-time champ.
Norris Snatches Pole in a Wild Finish
Norris truly pulled out all the stops, beating Hamilton by a ridiculous 0.012 seconds with the absolute last lap of the session. Seriously, the last lap! Hamilton was actually fastest on his first runs, a good 0.1 seconds ahead of Norris, but neither he nor Charles Leclerc, who moved up to second after Hamilton’s penalty, could improve on their final attempts. Norris, fresh off a sprint pole in Miami, just nailed it in his upgraded McLaren. He said he felt “very happy to be back on top” and admitted his Q3 laps weren’t even his best, so he’s ” pleasantly surprised to be on top.” This whole chaotic end to qualifying? It was all kicked off by Max Verstappen’s spin at the final corner, which totally messed with Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, forcing them to slow down. Verstappen still managed to grab sixth, but Antonelli starts third and Russell seventh.
Hamilton’s Frustration Boils Over
Hamilton was a full second slower on his second run and you could hear the frustration. He pointed the finger squarely at his team, saying they sent him out first for that second run, then failed to warn him about Piastri’s approach. “I was told literally when he was at the apex behind me, so I had no idea he was coming,” Hamilton said. That’s a huge breakdown in communication, right? He knows the car had pole pace, telling reporters, “We clearly had the car to be on pole today, and I just didn’t deliver. So that’s tough to swallow.” You gotta feel for the guy when he’s not getting the info he needs. Elsewhere on the grid, Fernando Alonso made a big move for Aston Martin, breaking out of Q1 for the first time this season with their new car. He’s starting 16th, almost three seconds off pole, but it’s a huge step forward for them. Alonso himself said he feels “relieved” and there’s a definite “change in optimism” in the team.
So, the stage is set for a wild Hungarian Grand Prix! Will Norris hold his nerve? Can Hamilton fight his way back from fifth, even without that team warning? We’ll see how it all shakes out, and don’t forget, F1 heads to Malaysia in October for another race.
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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