Lando Norris secured pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix after delivering an outstanding qualifying lap, giving McLaren its first pole of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The reigning world champion edged Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by just 0.012 seconds in a tightly contested session at the Hungaroring.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted the result came as a pleasant surprise, explaining that although the team’s latest upgrades had improved the car’s performance, they had not expected to challenge for pole. Despite the achievement, Stella believes Ferrari remain strong contenders for victory in Sunday’s race.
Hamilton’s hopes of starting from the front row were dashed after receiving a three-place grid penalty for impeding McLaren driver Oscar Piastri during qualifying. The penalty drops the Ferrari driver to fifth on the grid, promoting teammate Charles Leclerc to second place and allowing Piastri to move up the starting order. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli also received a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags.
With overtaking expected to be difficult around the Hungaroring, Norris is aware that converting pole position into victory will not be straightforward. Nevertheless, the British driver will head into the race with confidence after McLaren’s encouraging performance and recent technical improvements.
