Norris secures pole position in Hungary, Hamilton under investigation

By Bilal Ahmed — 25 July 2026 — 3 min read

Norris Claims Pole in Hungary

Lando Norris of McLaren secured his first grand prix pole position of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, outpacing Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by a margin of 0.012 seconds. Norris’s final lap in the session proved decisive, capitalizing on a chaotic end to qualifying.

Hamilton had initially set the fastest time on the first runs, holding an advantage of just over 0.1 seconds over Norris. However, neither the seven-time champion nor his teammate Charles Leclerc managed to improve their times on their subsequent attempts.

The session’s conclusion saw a spin from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the final corner, which affected several drivers. This incident forced Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell to slow down, resulting in them qualifying fourth and seventh, respectively. Verstappen eventually managed to take sixth place, despite his spin.

Norris expressed his satisfaction, stating he was “very happy to be back on top, especially at a track where you certainly want to be on pole.” He also mentioned that his laps in Q3 were not his best, making the pole position a pleasant surprise.

Hamilton Faces Investigation

Lewis Hamilton, who qualified second, is currently under investigation for allegedly impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at Turn One after completing his final lap. Hamilton stated he was not warned by his team about Piastri’s approach until the McLaren driver was already at the apex behind him.

Hamilton’s second run was notably slower than his first, and he voiced his unhappiness about being sent out first for that attempt. He admitted that the incident with Piastri affected his final lap, which he described as his “worst lap of all.” Hamilton believed the car had the potential for pole position, but he felt he “didn’t deliver.”

Piastri, who qualified fifth, was caught by Hamilton at Turn One as he began his final flying run. After being held up, Piastri reportedly backed off and gestured towards Hamilton, who responded with an apologetic wave. Both drivers have been summoned by the stewards for a hearing regarding the incident.

Kimi Antonelli is also facing an investigation for an alleged yellow-flag infringement. Antonelli noted that the team might have been “slightly out of the window with tyres” earlier in the session but felt the car improved in Q3. He expressed that a P3 finish was possible, but the yellow flags hindered his chances.

Alonso’s Breakthrough for Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso achieved a significant milestone for Aston Martin, progressing out of the first qualifying session for the first time this season. This breakthrough occurred on the weekend the team debuted a virtually new car. Alonso will start the race from 16th position, 2.8 seconds off pole.

Despite the gap to pole, Alonso’s time was reportedly two seconds faster in relative pace compared to previous performances. The veteran Spanish driver, who will be 45 next week, expressed relief and optimism, indicating that the team has understood the car’s weaknesses and is moving in the right direction.

Alonso acknowledged previous disappointments with upgrades but noted a change in optimism within the factory. He remains confident in the team’s potential with technical partner Adrian Newey, believing it’s a matter of time before they achieve the best chassis and Honda develops the best engine in F1.

Drivers faced challenges with the Hungaroring track surface, which was reportedly breaking up, particularly in the final two corners. Norris highlighted the difficulty in judging grip levels in these sections. Additionally, George Russell experienced a water leak during his final run, which sprayed water onto his rear tyres, leading him to park his car at Turn One to prevent engine damage.

The 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 15:00 local time.

Source: bbc.com