A thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix is on the cards after world champion Lando Norris took his first pole position of the season. With 2026 pace-setters Mercedes struggling at the tight and twisty Hungaroring track, Ferrari went into qualifying as the favourites for pole. However, Norris took advantage of an upgraded McLaren to set the fastest time. Joining him on the front row will be Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri third and Max Verstappen of Red Bull fourth despite a spin at the end of Q3.
Hungaroring specialist Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fifth after being hit with a three-place grid penalty. Mercedes' George Russell, who desperately needs a good weekend after his no-score in Belgium last weekend, lines up sixth, a place ahead of team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was also given a grid penalty.
Fresh penalty for Hamilton
Having just missed out on pole, Hamilton suffered another blow when he was relegated three places. The seven-time world champion was deemed guilty of blocking Piastri at the first corner as the Australian started a quick lap. Ferrari failed to tell Hamilton about the oncoming McLaren and the mistake could be costly in the 41-year-old's title challenge.
Hamilton has recently been no stranger to penalties. He was given a five-second penalty at the British Grand Prix for moving before the lights went out. In Belgium, he was controversially hit with the same sanction for his part in the first-lap clash that ended Russell's race, despite most observers viewing it as a racing incident.
Reacting to his Budapest penalty, he wrote on Instagram: "Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. Another weekend when I've been feeling great throughout all the sessions, but then it just falls apart. To go from being so close to pole to then starting P5 is extremely frustrating. I always do my best to keep positive - sport is always about the highs and lows, but it’s also in the margins. Every point counts and you have to seize every opportunity. After 3 penalties in 3 weekends, it's becoming difficult to hang on to that positivity. Still, I won't let the setbacks take away from the progress we've been making as a team. With the pace we have, I'm hopeful we can get something out of the race."
In a subsequent twist, Antonelli, who Hamilton trails by 45 points, was also served with a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags following Verstappen's last-corner spin.
Piastri's gesture
A previously unaired clip of Piastri's reaction to being blocked by Hamilton has emerged. The 25-year-old was impeded by the Ferrari at the start of Q3, with the Brit copping his aforementioned penalty. The usually unflappable Piastri was left irate by the incident, calling it "pretty bad." In-car footage of the incident shows Piastri being clearly baulked by the Ferrari. He then pulls up alongside Hamilton and gives him a sarcastic thumbs-up.
Piastri said: "I saw him from the start line and kind of watched him, expecting him to get out of the way, and I've watched him basically all the way up until I nearly hit him."
