Norris ends Mercedes pole dominance in Hungary

Lando Norris snatched pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, breaking Mercedes' stranglehold on front-row starts this Formula 1 season. The British driver's blistering lap in qualifying left Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton a mere 0.012 seconds behind, marking the first time this year a Mercedes car will not lead the grid.

This pole is Norris's 17th career achievement and his first since last autumn in Las Vegas. He secured the top spot despite a yellow flag in the closing moments of the session. Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, qualified third, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli in fourth place, both driving Mercedes cars.

Nico Hülkenberg, the sole German driver, qualified his Audi in tenth position. Aston Martin managed to get a car into the second knockout round for the first time this season, with Fernando Alonso starting 16th in his significantly updated car. In the drivers' standings, Antonelli holds a 45-point lead over Hamilton after ten races.