Hungarian GP Qualifying: Lando Norris snatches pole from Lewis Hamilton in dramatic finale as Max Verstappen spins

25.07.2026, 18:46 skysports.com

Lando Norris snatched Hungarian Grand Prix pole position from Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finale to qualifying in Budapest.

Ferrari's Hamilton appeared to be on course to claim his first Grand Prix pole since the same event three years ago when he was a tenth clear of Norris after the first runs in Q3, but the McLaren driver found improvement as his rivals struggled on the second run to edge 12 thousandths of a second clear of his compatriot.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who leads Hamilton by 45 points at the top of the Drivers' Championship, had to settle for fourth behind the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc as the Silver Arrows' streak of 10 poles to start the season came to an end.

Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri was fifth, finishing ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who spun at the final corner on his final flying lap, adding to the drama of a thrilling climax.

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George Russell's struggles continued as he took seventh, and concerningly had his Mercedes break down on track on his in-lap at the end of the session.

Both Hamilton and Antonelli are at risk of grid penalties as they face post-session investigations. Hamilton potentially impeded Piastri, while Antonelli may not have sufficiently slowed as he approached yellow flags warning him of Verstappen's spin.

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British rookie Arvid Lindblad continued his strong form for Racing Bulls by claiming ninth, while Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10 for Audi.

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Fernando Alonso provided some encouragement for Aston Martin as he took advantage of his heavily upgraded car to get the team into Q2 for the first time this season.

While Alonso will start from 16th after finishing last in Q2, the performance indicates progress ahead of another huge weekend for Aston Martin following the summer break at the Dutch Grand Prix when their engine supplier Honda will also bring a significant upgrade.

More to follow...

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Sunday July 267.35am: F3 Feature Race9.05am: Porsche Supercup10.20am: F2 Feature Race12.30pm: Hungarian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*2pm: THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX*4pm: Hungarian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*5pm: Ted's Notebook*

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is in Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix with Sunday's race at 2pm and build-up from 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime