Lando Norris of McLaren has claimed his first pole position of the year at the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, the qualifying session saw penalties issued to both Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli, affecting their starting grid positions.
Hamilton received a three-place grid demotion after impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during the final qualifying laps. This penalty means Hamilton will now start from fifth place. He expressed frustration, stating that he was not warned in time about Piastri’s approach.
Antonelli, who leads the Drivers’ Championship, also incurred a three-place penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags. This incident occurred when Max Verstappen’s Red Bull spun at the final corner. As a result, Antonelli will begin the race from seventh position.
Qualifying Session Details
Norris secured pole position by a narrow margin, outpacing Hamilton’s Ferrari by one-hundredth of a second. This marks a significant achievement for McLaren, especially after a challenging start to the season. The team introduced an upgrade package, their first since Miami, which appears to have positively impacted their performance.
Hamilton initially held provisional pole after the first runs in the final qualifying segment. However, he did not improve on his final lap. He later stated that he was surprised by the team’s decision to send him out early for his final run, believing it might have been an error given the evolving track conditions.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur took responsibility for the incident involving Hamilton and Piastri, acknowledging that the warning to Hamilton was delivered too late. Hamilton himself posted on social media, reflecting on a series of penalties in recent race weekends, stating, “Sometimes you just can’t catch a break.”
Antonelli’s penalty stemmed from an investigation into his speed while passing Verstappen’s car under yellow flags. While he did lift off the throttle, stewards determined it was an insufficient reduction in speed. This decision moved him down the grid, placing him behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Team Progress and Expectations
McLaren’s performance in Hungary suggests their recent upgrades are proving effective. Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, described Norris’s pole as an “overachievement,” attributing it partly to their strong execution and the under-performance of other teams like Ferrari and potentially Mercedes.
Despite the penalties, Hamilton remains optimistic about Ferrari’s pace for the race. He noted that the car has been feeling progressively better throughout the weekend. Norris, however, remains cautious, acknowledging the strong race pace shown by other drivers during Friday practice sessions.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin also showed signs of progress at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso managed to advance beyond the first qualifying session for the first time this season, securing 16th place. This improvement is attributed to a significant upgrade package for their car, which the team hopes will build momentum.
Alonso highlighted the importance of this step for team morale, stating that it has revitalised faith in Aston Martin’s development capabilities. The team anticipates a further engine upgrade from Honda after the summer break. The Hungarian Grand Prix race is scheduled for 2pm on Sunday.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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Charlie Bradshaw is the Senior Football Correspondent at News-GB, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with ten years of reporting experience. He covered Merseyside football before going national. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Liverpool John Moores University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Liverpool, he watches non-league sides and collects old match programmes. “The back page is only ever half the story.”