Norris takes Hungarian GP pole as Hamilton penalized
Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Lando Norris secured pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking his first of the season and ending Mercedes' streak of ten consecutive poles.
- Lewis Hamilton initially qualified second but received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri, promoting Charles Leclerc to the front row.
- Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez faced significant struggles, qualifying in 21st and 22nd positions respectively for the Cadillac team.
McLaren's Lando Norris claimed a thrilling pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix, his first of the season, breaking Mercedes' dominant streak. Norris's exceptional lap edged out Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by a mere 0.012 seconds. However, Hamilton's hopes of starting on the front row were dashed when he received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during qualifying.
This penalty promotes Charles Leclerc to second place, alongside Norris on the front row. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli will start third. The session was not without drama for other drivers. Red Bull's Max Verstappen spun, causing yellow flags that disrupted the final fast laps for several drivers, including Mercedes' George Russell and Antonelli. Antonelli's sector time was affected by the yellow flags, and stewards are investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, Mercedes driver George Russell experienced a difficult qualifying session, finishing seventh. He also reported a water leak after stopping his car on the track, expressing hope that it would not affect Sunday's race. The struggles continued for the Cadillac team, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez qualifying in 21st and 22nd positions, highlighting the team's ongoing challenges.
Water pressure disappeared and there was a leak in the car. Hopefully it won't affect tomorrow.
Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.