For the first time in the 2026 Formula 1 season, a Mercedes will not start a feature race from pole position. In Saturday’s qualifying session (July 25), Lando Norris shocked the favorite Ferrari squad to claim pole with a 1m17s207, just 0.012s faster than Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc finished third.

Contrary to what Friday indicated, Saturday in Hungary kicked off with a much bolder McLaren during FP3, with Norris eager to steal the spotlight. However, Q1 saw Ferrari focusing on race pace by saving fresh soft tires for Sunday, making the 0.4s gap between them unrepresentative.

Q2 brought the field much closer, though McLaren still held the upper hand, with Norris dominating Sectors 1 and 2 while the Scuderia was faster through the final sector. Up to that point, Red Bull had yet to make a major statement, despite Max Verstappen occasionally topping the timing sheets.

Then came Q3, and the Hamilton vs. Norris duel erupted. Driver #44 set a 1m17s219 as the benchmark time to beat, but Lando saved his best for last. By a mere 0.012s, he clinched pole position for McLaren as Lewis failed to improve on his second run.

As expected, Mercedes played a supporting role, although Andrea Kimi Antonelli fought hard to place the W17 in the best possible grid position. The Italian will start fourth, while George Russell—who once again ran into issues late in qualifying—starts down in seventh.

The top 10 finished as follows: Norris, Hamilton, Leclerc, Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, and Nico Hülkenberg.

This time, Gabriel Bortoleto was the Audi driver left stranded mid-session. The Brazilian had his lap deleted in Q1 and scraped through by the skin of his teeth. In Q2, Hadjar’s spin compromised his first run, leaving Gabriel down in 14th place.

Honorable mention goes to Fernando Alonso. With Aston Martin’s long-awaited major upgrade package finally put to the test, the Spaniard managed to drag the AMR26 into Q2 for the first time by ending the opening segment in 16th. Lance Stroll, on the other hand, couldn’t replicate the feat and ended up 20th.

GRANDE PRÊMIO covers all the action live from the Hungarian GP, the 11th round of the 2026 season.

How F1 Qualifying Unfolded in Budapest:

The pit lane light turned green at precisely 4:00 PM local time. Track temperatures were already soaring near 50°C (122°F), with ambient temperatures at 27°C (80°F) and relative humidity at just 23%, making for very dry conditions. Beyond the heat, all eyes were on the risk of the asphalt breaking up at the final corner—a concerning alarm after numerous off-track moments there during free practice.

The FIA attempted to resolve the issue with emergency repairs, but FP3 proved that the surface was still far from ideal grip levels for the cars.

Q1: Norris Leads, Alonso Finally Takes Aston Martin to Q2

Grip or no grip, qualifying kicked off with Aston Martin briefly enjoying the view from the top of the leaderboard, Alonso ahead of Stroll. But once Hamilton crossed the line with a 1m18s730 on medium tires, the real battle began.

Leclerc followed up 0.148s slower, but a track limits violation cost the Monégasque driver his lap time. Verstappen, on softs, dethroned Ferrari by posting a 1m18s656, just 0.074s quicker. Hadjar also put together a great lap, placing just a few hundredths behind Lewis, 0.098s off his fellow Red Bull driver.

Then it was Antonelli’s turn to try and displace Max. He posted purple times in Sectors 1 and 2 but lost 0.070s overall, settling into second. Norris, however, didn’t waste his chance, slamming down a storming 1m18s277—0.3s faster than Verstappen and 0.4s clear of Hamilton, who was still on mediums.

Piastri sat sixth, 0.6s off Lando and 0.031s ahead of Russell. With six minutes remaining, Bearman, Albon, Sainz, Bottas, Pérez, and Bortoleto were in the elimination zone, with the Brazilian being the only driver without a set time after exceeding track limits at Turn 4 and having his lap deleted.

After a quick pit stop, Norris, Hamilton, Hadjar, and Piastri remained satisfied in the garages while the rest scrambled for survival. Among them, Bortoleto hooked up a clean lap to put his Audi into ninth. He was the only one in danger to catch a breather, as Bearman, Sainz, Albon, Stroll, Bottas, and Pérez were eliminated. An honorable mention went to Alonso, who carried Aston Martin into Q2 for the first time this season, ending Q1 in 16th.

Q2: Norris Tops Again, Bortoleto Ends Up 14th

Alonso stuck to the script from Q1 by being the first to put a flying lap on the board, a 1m20s696. Verstappen was second to hit the track, posting a 1m18s249 to naturally take the lead.

Gradually, times started coming down, but everyone took a breath when Hadjar lost control at Turn 12 and spun out across the track—fortunately avoiding a crash.

Under green flags, Antonelli put together a solid lap to take the top spot, though he vehemently complained about “zero grip.” Hamilton also reported a “tricky track,” but set a time strong enough to place Ferrari back on top: 1m17s931, 0.297s quicker than Antonelli.

Leclerc, conversely, was caught out by Hadjar’s spin and ended his lap 1s off Lewis. Bortoleto, sitting in the pits, was still without a recorded time. He sat at the bottom of the order alongside Hadjar (no time), Ocon, Colapinto, Gasly, and Hülkenberg in the drop zone.

Hadjar’s spin briefly left Alonso inside the top 10, though holding on was a tall order. The Red Bull French driver himself ousted Alonso from virtual Q3 by clocking a 1m17s872, 0.059s faster than Hamilton.

Alonso went for another attempt and vaulted back into the top 10—a clear victory for Aston Martin regardless of the final outcome. Bortoleto was the first to improve his lap time, but it wasn’t enough to survive. Colapinto, Gasly, Lawson, and Hülkenberg posted faster times, demoting the Brazilian to 14th. Alonso was eventually leapfrogged by Ocon, finishing 16th but fulfilling Aston Martin’s objective.

Q3: Norris Beats Hamilton by 0.012s to Claim Hungarian Pole

Verstappen was first onto the circuit, but his sector times were promptly decimated by the McLarens. Norris jumped to the top with a 1m17s320.

Driver after driver failed to beat what was already a blistering benchmark, but the most successful driver in Hungarian GP history managed to go 0.101s faster: Hamilton crossed the line in 1m17s219.

That became the target time from then on, and not even Lewis could beat his own mark on the final run. However, it proved insufficient against a rampant McLaren with Norris behind the wheel. Norris found 0.012s as the chequered flag fell, ousting Ferrari to take a surprise pole position.

F1 2026: Hungarian GP Qualifying Results at the Hungaroring