Lando Norris will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position after beating Lewis Hamilton by just 0.012 seconds in qualifying — but the grid has been reshuffled by a pair of three-place penalties that could reshape the world championship battle.
Hamilton, chasing a record-extending ninth win in Budapest, appeared to have ended a three-year run without pole until Norris snatched top spot in the closing moments. But the stewards then docked Hamilton three places for impeding Oscar Piastri, dropping him to fifth. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who qualified behind Hamilton, was also hit with a three-place grid penalty after qualifying, promoting Charles Leclerc to the front row alongside Norris.
“Norris takes pole by 0.012s; Hamilton and Antonelli both penalised three grid spots.”
Antonelli arrives in Hungary with a 45-point lead in the standings after winning six races this season, most recently at Spa-Francorchamps where he took his sixth victory from pole. His Mercedes teammate George Russell crashed out on the opening lap in Belgium, while Hamilton could only finish fourth — a result that left the seven-time world champion as Antonelli’s closest contender on paper, despite not featuring in the top three of the championship order. The current standings show Antonelli on 204 points, Russell on 154, and Leclerc on 126, with Hamilton outside that trio.
The Hungarian Grand Prix is the final race before Formula One’s customary summer break, meaning the result will define the championship narrative for weeks to come. Sky Sports will broadcast the race live from 12:30pm BST, with coverage available on Sky Go and via a NOWTV Day Pass for non-subscribers.
