Norris takes pole in Hungary; Alonso qualifies for Q2

Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, captured pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking his first top starting spot of the Formula One season. The 26-year-old Briton set a blistering pace at the Hungaroring, clocking a time of 1 minute, 17.207 seconds in the decisive Q3 session. This pole position is Norris's seventeenth in his career and the first of the season not secured by Mercedes.

Fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari will start second, just 12 thousandths of a second behind Norris. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified third, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes starting fourth. The second McLaren of Oscar Piastri and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who spun while setting his time, will occupy the third row.

For veteran Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend offered a glimmer of hope. Alonso managed to qualify for Q2 for the first time this season, a significant achievement given his car's performance struggles. This marks a positive development for the Spanish driver, who achieved his maiden Formula One victory at this very circuit nearly 23 years ago.

Alonso, nearing 45, is experiencing a resurgence, partly attributed to early aerodynamic upgrades on the Aston Martin AMR26. He outqualified his teammate Lance Stroll and other competitors like the Williams and Cadillac cars. Meanwhile, Spanish driver Carlos Sainz will start sixteenth, and Argentinian Franco Colapinto in an Alpine will begin thirteenth. Mexican driver Sergio Pérez of Cadillac will start last on the grid.

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1 minute, 17 seconds and 207 thousandths