Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix with a last-gasp lap that beat Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by just 0.012 seconds at the Hungaroring.
The McLaren driver delivered a 1:17.207 effort in the closing moments of Q3, improving when several of his rivals were unable to find more performance in difficult conditions. With track temperatures nearing 50C, tyre management proved critical around the circuit’s long sequence of corners, particularly through the demanding final sector.
Hamilton had set the early benchmark in the final shootout with a 1:17.219 lap, moving ahead of Norris after the first runs. Charles Leclerc held third, while Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli occupied fourth place.
Norris responded on his final attempt. After recording the fastest middle sector, he completed a cleaner run through the closing corners and crossed the line narrowly ahead of Hamilton to claim his first Grand Prix pole position of the season.
The session ended in disrupted fashion. Max Verstappen spun during his final run, bringing out yellow flags near the end of the lap, while George Russell was later instructed to stop his Mercedes. Those incidents prevented several drivers from completing final attempts.
Hamilton remained second, with Leclerc taking third in the second Ferrari. Antonelli improved but could go no higher than fourth, 0.272s away from pole.
Oscar Piastri qualified fifth in the second McLaren after a session in which he had struggled to match Norris’ pace. Verstappen was sixth for Red Bull, ahead of Russell in seventh and team-mate Isack Hadjar in eighth.
Arvid Lindblad produced one of the standout midfield performances to place his Racing Bulls ninth, while Nico Hülkenberg completed the top 10 for Audi.
Earlier, Norris had also led Q2 with a 1:17.456 lap, finishing ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton. Hadjar recovered from a spin at Turn 12 to progress comfortably, while Lindblad again impressed and Hülkenberg claimed the final place in Q3.
Liam Lawson narrowly missed out in 11th and will start alongside Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Franco Colapinto took 13th in the second Alpine, ahead of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto.
Esteban Ocon placed 15th for Haas, ahead of Fernando Alonso, who reached Q2 in the updated Aston Martin but managed only 16th.
Q1 had already underlined the challenge facing several teams. Norris set the early pace on soft tyres, while Ferrari initially used the medium compound before switching strategy later in the session. The evolving track rewarded drivers who found space, brought their tyres into the correct window and avoided mistakes on the slippery surface.
Oliver Bearman was eliminated in 17th and was followed by the two Williams drivers. Carlos Sainz qualified 18th, with Alexander Albon 19th after reporting an inconsistent balance from his car.
Lance Stroll took 20th in the second Aston Martin, narrowly ahead of the Cadillac pair. Valtteri Bottas was 21st, while Sergio Pérez completed the grid in 22nd.
The result gives Norris an advantage at a circuit where overtaking is tricky and strategy often proves decisive. Hamilton will share the front row, with Leclerc and Antonelli forming an all-Ferrari-Mercedes second row.
Piastri and Verstappen will start from row three, while Russell and Hadjar line up behind them. Lindblad and Hülkenberg complete the first five rows after making the most of a session shaped by heat, changing grip levels and late yellow flags.
Norris will therefore lead the field away in Budapest after converting McLaren’s pace into pole at the final opportunity. With less than three tenths covering the leading four drivers, Sunday’s race is set to begin with the principal contenders closely matched and several strategic possibilities open.
2026 FIA Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:17.207 - -
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:17.219 0.012 0.016
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:17.445 0.238 0.308
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:17.479 0.272 0.352
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:17.684 0.477 0.618
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:17.725 0.518 0.671
7 George Russell Mercedes 1:17.760 0.553 0.716
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:17.856 0.649 0.841
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:18.281 1.074 1.391
10 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:18.686 1.479 1.916
11 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:18.765 1.558 2.018
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:18.844 1.637 2.120
13 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:19.027 1.820 2.357
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:19.105 1.898 2.458
15 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:19.734 2.527 3.273
16 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:19.808 2.601 3.369
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:20.233 3.026 3.919
18 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:20.621 3.414 4.422
19 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:20.658 3.451 4.470
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:20.659 3.452 4.471
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:20.886 3.679 4.765
22 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:21.322 4.115 5.330
