Lando Norris landed the first pole position of his world championship defence after he beat Lewis Hamilton to top spot for the Hungarian Grand Prix by just 0.012 seconds.
Hamilton appeared on course to end a three-year run without taking pole only to be usurped by Norris in the closing moments of a thrilling qualifying session at the Hungaroring.
It seemed like Hamilton had to settle for second, a place ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc, until he was docked three places by the stewards for impeding Oscar Piastri in what looked like a slam-dunk incident.
But he still has a strong chance of taking a record-extending ninth win at a venue he has so often ruled, and slash Kimi Antonelli’s advantage at the summit of the world championship standings.
*Follow live updates from the Hungarian GP with The Independent *
Malaysia added to 2026 F1 calendar as Middle East chaos triggers schedule change
Malaysia will return to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2017 as the sport executes its contingency plan for the second half of the 2026 season.
After races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled in April due to the conflict in the Middle East, F1 was keen to add to its current 22-race calendar and was hopeful of racing in Bahrain in October, in between already scheduled races in Azerbaijan (26 September) and Singapore (11 October).
However, given the recent escalation in the region after the ending of the US-Iran ceasefire, F1 bosses were forced to seek alternatives and the Sepang International Circuit, just outside Kuala Lumpur, is the option they’ve landed on.
Malaysia withdrew from the sport in 2017 when they couldn’t match the host fees required, yet the racetrack is still used regularly for other series such as MotoGP.
In this instance, its proximity to Singapore means a Europe-Asia triple-header, over the last weekend in September and the first two weekends in October, added to its feasibility. However, and rather oddly, it will be known as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia for contractual reasons.
Fernando Alonso, who qualified P16:
“It has been a more competitive weekend for us and getting into Q2 is a step in the right direction. We are still optimising this package and there is more potential to unlock in the car. The car seems more consistent and predictable, so it’s a bit easier to drive.
“We are going to keep learning about this car tomorrow and we’ll see what we can do in the race.”
Kimi Antonelli, who starts P4:
"I think, looking at the lap, I got a gust of tail wind in Turn Nine, so lost a tenth there. Then in the last corner, from the previous lap, it was a good tenth and half, because the lap before I didn't maximise the brake.
"Also, the yellow flag came while I was entering the corner, so I did try my best to lift. But also, I gave up quit a bit of speed compared to before. It was a shame, but I don't think pole psoiton. I think pretty close, like half a tenth to Lando [Norris], but not good enough for pole.”
Honda reaction to Aston Martin:
Shintaro Orihara, Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer: “Today we focused on maximising our one-lap performance for qualifying. We applied countermeasures for yesterday’s oscillations to improve, and we’ve observed good progress by changing those parameters.
“We’ve worked hard to optimise our energy management and driveability to this track with the new Aston Martin chassis.”
Oscar Piastri after finishing P5:
"It was just Lewis not looking in his mirrors, the yellow flag wasn't my problem. A shame because it meant I didn't get a lap in either way. Clearly the car's been quick today, I've certainly been chasing it. It's not been easy but clearly there's performance there."
On changing conditions: "That's definitely not helped but the wind conditions have been quite different today so it was a bit of a reset in some ways. I feel like I've been chasing it all weekend to an extent, I feel like I need a few practice sessions to get on top of things, which we don't have."
NEW TOP-5
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Lando Norris (McLaren)
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Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
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Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
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Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
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Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)*
*Hamilton received a three-place grid drop for impeding Oscar Piastri in qualifying
NEW: Hamilton receives penalty
As expected, Hamilton has received a three-place grid drop for impeding Oscar Piastri in qualifying.
As a result, he will drop from second to fifth on the grid, with Charles Leclerc bumped up to the front row.
QUALIFYING REPORT: Lando Norris pips Lewis Hamilton to Hungary pole as Mercedes duo struggle
Lando Norris landed the first pole position of his world championship defence after he beat Lewis Hamilton to top spot for the Hungarian Grand Prix by just 0.012 seconds.
Hamilton appeared on course to end a three-year run without taking pole only to be usurped by Norris in the closing moments of a thrilling qualifying session at the Hungaroring.
Hamilton had to settle for second, a place ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc, but he still has a strong chance of taking a record-extending ninth win at venue he has so often ruled, and slash Kimi Antonelli’s advantage at the summit of the world championship standings.
Antonelli, who holds a 45-point lead over Hamilton heading into the final round before the sport’s summer break, starts only fourth after Mercedes’ exclusive run of poles at every round so far came to a stuttering end.