The battle for pole position at the Hungaroring produced one of the closest qualifying sessions of the season, with Lando Norris finally ending Mercedes’ remarkable run at the top. The McLaren driver delivered a sensational final lap to beat Lewis Hamilton by just 0.012 seconds, claiming his first pole position of the 2026 campaign and denying the Ferrari veteran what would have been a record-extending tenth pole at the Hungarian circuit.
Norris had shown impressive pace throughout Saturday, topping the final practice session ahead of Hamilton and championship leader Kimi Antonelli. That form carried into qualifying, where McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes traded fastest laps in every segment. As the circuit evolved, the margins became incredibly tight, setting up a dramatic Q3 shootout with four different drivers looking capable of taking pole.
Hamilton looked to have done enough after producing a superb lap that briefly put him on provisional pole, but Norris responded in style on his final attempt. Threading the McLaren through the Hungaroring’s technical final sector with remarkable precision, he stopped the clocks at exactly the right moment to snatch the top spot by the smallest of margins. Charles Leclerc secured third place for Ferrari, while Antonelli settled for fourth after falling just short of matching the front-row pace.
The decisive moments came amid late-session drama. Max Verstappen spun during his final flying lap in Q3, bringing out yellow flags that compromised several drivers behind him and effectively ended Red Bull’s hopes of fighting for pole. Oscar Piastri completed the top five, while Isack Hadjar once again impressed with another strong qualifying performance for the junior Red Bull squad.
Elsewhere, Fernando Alonso managed to reach Q2 after Aston Martin introduced a substantial upgrade package for the weekend, although he could not progress any further. Carlos Sainz endured a far more frustrating afternoon, exiting in Q1 and leaving himself with plenty of work to do in Sunday’s race around a circuit where overtaking has traditionally been at a premium.
For Norris, however, Saturday marked a significant breakthrough. Not only did he end Mercedes’ perfect qualifying record in 2026, but he also handed McLaren its strongest opportunity yet to challenge for victory this season. With Hamilton alongside him on the front row and Antonelli lurking just behind, the stage is perfectly set for another fascinating contest at the Hungaroring.
MiniDrivers
2026 Hungary
Qualifying
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