Norris on Pole, Hamilton Penalized at Hungarian GP
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Lando Norris claimed pole position at the Hungarian GP with Charles Leclerc second, as track temperatures exceeded 50C ahead of the race start at the Hungaroring.
- Lewis Hamilton (starting P5) and Kimi Antonelli (starting P7) each received three-grid-place penalties — Hamilton for impeding Piastri in qualifying, Antonelli for not slowing sufficiently under yellow flags when Max Verstappen spun in Q3.
- George Russell was forced to change his power unit — his fourth of the 2026 season — after a cracked engine caused a water leak detected at the end of qualifying, though he avoided a grid penalty as the swap stays within the season engine limit.
- Lewis Hamilton apologized for his post-qualifying attitude, saying learning Piastri was behind him and that a penalty was coming was "tough to swallow" after what he called a strong session.
- Charles Leclerc dismissed any Ferrari pace advantage over McLaren despite starting second, while Sky Sports' Anthony Davidson predicted Leclerc would win the race if he led after turn one.
- Martin Brundle said McLaren's pole shows the team is "returning to normal" after "floundering" earlier in 2026 as they worked to understand the new regulations.
Why it matters: Hamilton's grid penalty and Russell's engine change compound Mercedes' headaches on a Hungaroring track where overtaking is notoriously difficult, while Norris's pole suggests McLaren have cracked their early-2026 struggles before the summer break — with 50C track heat adding a tire-strategy wildcard for every team.
