BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. McLaren's reigning Formula One world champion Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix with a spectacular final qualifying lap, denying Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton what would have been his first pole since 2023.
Norris secured the fastest time of 1:17.207, edging Hamilton by just 0.012 seconds in a dramatic conclusion to qualifying at the Hungaroring. It marked McLaren's first pole position of the 2026 Formula One season and ended Mercedes' run of securing every Grand Prix pole through the opening 10 rounds.
Hamilton initially looked set to secure a record-extending 10th Hungarian Grand Prix pole after leading the early stages of Q3, but Norris delivered a flawless final lap to move to the top of the timesheets.
"I'm very happy to be back on top," Norris said after qualifying. Last year's Hungarian Grand Prix winner added that McLaren's recent upgrades had improved the car throughout the weekend and expressed confidence ahead of Sunday's race, while acknowledging Ferrari's strong race pace.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified third, with Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli taking fourth. McLaren's Oscar Piastri will start fifth alongside Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen, whose late spin contributed to yellow flags during the closing moments of qualifying.
Hamilton is also under investigation by race stewards for a possible impeding incident involving Piastri during qualifying. The seven-time world champion said he was unaware another car was approaching and would review the incident after the session.
Further down the grid, Mercedes' George Russell qualified seventh ahead of Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar, while Racing Bulls youngster Arvid Lindblad claimed ninth and Audi's Nico Hülkenberg completed the top ten. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso reached Q2 for the first time this season but will start 16th.
