Lando Norris Shines with First Pole Position at Hungarian Grand Prix
Lando Norris secured a surprising pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, giving McLaren a boost as they gear up for the race. Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged that despite Norris’s impressive performance, Ferrari still remains the frontrunner for Sunday’s event.
Norris wowed fans with a stunning final lap at the Hungaroring, marking his first pole of the 2026 Formula One season. He became the first driver outside of Mercedes to claim the top spot in qualifying this year, a significant achievement for McLaren following the introduction of performance upgrades.
Norris will be joined on the front row by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Teammate Lewis Hamilton faced a three-place grid penalty for blocking McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who will now start in third place after moving up from fourth. Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli also received a penalty for not slowing down under yellow flags.
Despite having two cars in the top three, Stella emphasized that McLaren isn’t jumping to conclusions.
“This is a nice surprise,” he told Sky Sports. “We introduced upgrades this weekend that worked well, adding a few tenths to our performance. However, we didn’t expect to land on pole.”
Stella believes Ferrari still has the upper hand heading into the race, as both Leclerc and Hamilton were unable to improve their times in the final qualifying session.
“Honestly, the Ferraris remain the favorites for tomorrow. They didn’t improve on their second laps, which suggests they may have held back a bit,” he stated. “While we are encouraged by today’s results, we know there’s more work to do to be consistently competitive.”
Norris shared his thoughts, feeling pleasantly surprised by McLaren’s performance after a tough period in qualifying.
“I’m really surprised,” he said. “The car performed exceptionally well, and the team did a fantastic job with the upgrades. We wouldn’t be here without their efforts.”
Nevertheless, he expects a tough challenge from Ferrari during the race.
“They’ve been fast all season, so I anticipate a tough battle,” Norris said. “They completed Q1 on the medium tire, which could give them an advantage in the race.”
Overtaking could be tricky at the Hungaroring, so Norris will aim to turn his pole position into a race victory. However, with Ferrari’s strong starts and competitive edge, fans can expect an exciting race on Sunday.
