Lando Norris secured his first pole position of the year at the Hungarian Grand Prix, though he remains cautious about his prospects for a victory. His achievement comes as other frontrunners, including Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli, received grid penalties that reshuffled the starting order.
Norris expressed the importance of a strong race performance, stating, “You can’t just rely on one good qualifying, so I need a good race tomorrow.” He also noted the team’s continuous efforts, adding, “We’ve been working hard. We know we’ve been on the back foot, but we’re making progress and today certainly shows that.”
Grid Penalties Reshape Starting Order
Lewis Hamilton, who initially held provisional pole, was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during the final qualifying session. This demotion means Hamilton will now start the race from fifth position. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur took responsibility for the incident, explaining that the team’s warning to Hamilton about Piastri’s approach came too late.
Hamilton shared his frustration on social media, mentioning, “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.” He also reflected on a series of penalties, stating, “After three penalties in three weekends, it’s becoming difficult to hang on to that positivity.”
Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, also received a three-place grid penalty. His penalty was for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags after Max Verstappen spun. Antonelli will now start the race from seventh place. Stewards determined that while Antonelli did reduce his speed, it was deemed insufficient and unsustained.
These penalties have significantly altered the starting grid. Norris’s pole position was confirmed, with his team-mate Charles Leclerc moving up to second. Piastri will start third, and Verstappen, who originally qualified sixth, will now begin from fourth.
McLaren’s Upgrades and Aston Martin’s Progress
McLaren’s recent upgrade package, their first since Miami, has shown positive signs. Team principal Andrea Stella described Norris’s pole as an “overachievement,” attributing it partly to McLaren’s strong execution and under-performance from other teams. Norris himself acknowledged the impact of the upgrades, noting, “We also had the upgrades this weekend, and it doesn’t feel that different, but it certainly seems to be going a little bit quicker, and that’s always a good thing.”
Meanwhile, Aston Martin also showed signs of improvement with a significant upgrade. Fernando Alonso managed to progress beyond the first qualifying session for the first time this season, securing 16th place. Alonso highlighted the morale boost within the team, stating, “It was important for everyone in the team as it has been a tough period in both factories.” He added that the team now has a clearer understanding of their development targets for future packages and the next year.
Despite Ferrari being considered favourites by many, including Norris, due to their car’s cornering ability on the less power-sensitive Hungaroring circuit, McLaren demonstrated strong pace throughout the weekend. Norris mentioned, “I had my money on Ferrari before the weekend and they have been insanely quick, but, come qualifying, we just seemed to take more of a step forward.”
Overtaking is anticipated to be particularly challenging at the Hungaroring this year. Norris’s pole position offers an opportunity to capitalise on this, especially if he can maintain his lead over Leclerc into the first corner.
The Hungarian Grand Prix race is scheduled to begin at 2pm.
Source: bbc.com
