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Norris Takes Hungarian Pole but Stays Cautious; Hamilton Hit with Another Penalty
Lando Norris secured pole position in Hungary but remained cautious, while Lewis Hamilton endured another difficult start to his weekend with a grid penalty.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-07-25T19:23:14.000Z - 3 min read
Lando Norris will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position. It is his first pole position of the year, though the McLaren driver immediately tempered the euphoria. He remains cautious about his chances of victory, likely recalling Miami earlier this season, where a strategic error by his team squandered a potential win to Kimi Antonelli.
Beside Norris' qualifying talent, McLaren’s updates played a key role. The team struggled at the start of the season with the new regulations and fine-tuning the Mercedes engine, partly due to a late start on car development following their 2024 and 2025 championship titles. The package introduced this weekend in Hungary is a direct result of hard work to correct course, and early signs are positive. However, team principal Andrea Stella referred to Norris' pole as an 'overachievement', pointing to a surprisingly strong result.
Many, including McLaren themselves, had pegged Ferrari as the pre-weekend favorites for the Hungaroring. The Italians possess an excellent car in the corners, and the circuit is known to be less sensitive to engine power. Nevertheless, Ferrari failed to live up to expectations, contributing to Norris' unexpected pole.
On the other side of the paddock, Lewis Hamilton endured a frustrating qualifying session. The Mercedes driver was fastest after his initial Q3 run but failed to improve his time on his final lap. Shortly after, he impeded Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri, earning himself a three-place grid penalty. This marked yet another setback for Hamilton, who also received penalties in the previous two races in Great Britain and Belgium.
Hamilton later took to social media to express his disappointment, emphasizing how hard it is to stay positive after three penalties in as many weekends. Despite the setbacks, he maintains faith in the progress the team is making and still hopes to extract a strong result from fifth on the grid.
Aston Martin also found reason for optimism this weekend after a difficult spell. The team introduced a major upgrade package, which helped Fernando Alonso advance beyond Q1 for the first time this season. While 16th on the grid is hardly spectacular in itself, being able to genuinely compete with rival teams for the first time this year represents a huge leap forward. This has revived faith in Aston Martin's development capabilities following three years of disappointing upgrades.
Alonso, who turns 45 next week, still has a contract decision to make. Although he remains competitive, he regularly voices discontent over the energy management of the current engines. The team's progress and the promise of Adrian Newey and Honda to deliver the best car and engine are key factors, but questions remain over whether this fits his personal timeline and if Formula 1 continues to deliver the adrenaline he craves.
With Mercedes and Ferrari displaying strong race pace during free practice, the race at the Hungaroring promises to be challenging for Norris. Charles Leclerc, starting behind Norris, dubbed the McLaren driver the favorite while expecting Mercedes to firmly enter the mix. Overtaking is considered exceptionally difficult on this circuit this year, making Norris' starting position all the more valuable.