Norris clinches pole ahead of Piastri and Verstappen in dramatic Hungarian GP qualifying as Perez crashes out
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Lando Norris secured pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix after a thrilling and chaotic qualifying session marked by ever-changing weather, red flags, and an intense final sprint to the finish.
Norris, driving for McLaren, clocked an impressive provisional pole time of 1m 15.227s early in Q3. The session was subsequently interrupted by a heavy crash from Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull, causing a red flag. As the session resumed with just over two minutes remaining, the wet-dry conditions prevented most drivers from improving their times, allowing Norris to retain P1.
Norris's teammate, Oscar Piastri, came in second, trailing by just 0.022s, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who opted not to push for another lap in the final moments, secured third place. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five.
Charles Leclerc placed sixth for Ferrari, while Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll secured seventh and eighth positions, respectively. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo ended the session in ninth, followed by the recovering Tsunoda who completed the top ten.
Nico Hulkenberg narrowly missed out on progressing to Q3, falling short by a hundredth of a second in his Haas. Valtteri Bottas in the Kick Sauber also failed to advance, finishing in 12th.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloAfter showing promise earlier in the session, the Williams drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant dropped to 13th and 14th, respectively, with Haas’s Kevin Magnussen in 15th.
The first qualifying session (Q1) saw significant drama with Sergio Perez crashing into the barriers in his Red Bull, bringing out the red flags and finishing the day in 16th place as a result. George Russell of Mercedes was another surprise exit in Q1, ending in 17th after seemingly timing his lap too early.
Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu took 18th, while Alpine’s decision not to run another lap in the final minutes saw Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly relegated to 19th and 20th places respectively.
The Hungarian GP qualifying session sets the stage for an exciting race, with Norris and McLaren aiming to translate their strong qualifying performance into a win under the dynamic and challenging conditions forecasted for race day.
