Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session at the Hungaroring, marking his first pole of the current season. Max Verstappen, despite a late spin in Q3, will start Sunday’s race from fourth on the grid, benefiting from penalties applied to other drivers.
Verstappen initially qualified sixth with a lap time of 1:17.725, after losing control of his Red Bull RB22 at the final corner during his last flying lap in the decisive Q3 segment.
The spin brought out yellow flags and compromised his lap time. Verstappen reported a ‘degrading’ car throughout the session, stating it was ‘getting worse and worse’ with non-existent rear turn-in.
Lewis Hamilton, who had qualified second, received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri in Q3. Hamilton stated he was unaware of Piastri approaching and did not receive a timely radio message from his Ferrari team.
Kimi Antonelli also incurred a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags following Verstappen’s spin. Antonelli, who qualified fourth, improved his sector time despite the yellow flags.
These penalties significantly altered the starting grid. Hamilton drops from second to fifth, while Antonelli falls from fourth to seventh. Charles Leclerc, who qualified third, moves up to second on the grid.
Oscar Piastri, initially qualifying fifth, moves up to third on the grid due to Hamilton’s penalty. Verstappen’s initial sixth place becomes fourth after the penalties to Hamilton and Antonelli.
George Russell’s qualifying session ended prematurely in Q3 due to a suspected water leak after hitting a kerb at Turn 4. He stopped on track, but Mercedes confirmed he will not incur a grid penalty for a power unit change as it is within his season allocation.
Russell, who qualified seventh, will maintain that starting position after Antonelli’s penalty. Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, and Nico Hulkenberg complete the top ten on the revised grid.
The Hungaroring circuit, known for its tight and twisty nature, places significant emphasis on qualifying position for Sunday’s race. The Grand Prix is the final event before the Formula 1 summer break.
