Lando Norris secured pole position for the Hungarian GP on Saturday. In a thrilling qualifying session, where multiple teams vied for the fastest time, the McLaren driver came out on top. The MCL40 looked remarkably competitive on the treacherous Hungaroring. Both Ferraris completed the top three and will start Sunday in Norris’s wake. It’s the first time this year that a Mercedes is not on pole.
Read more FP3 Hungarian GP: Norris ahead, Verstappen outside top six and another red flag
“I am very happy to be back at the top,” Norris reacted after the session. Lewis Hamilton seemed to have enough for a long time with his first fast lap in Q3; in the final runs, only Kimi Antonelli managed to improve his own time. Moreover, Max Verstappen further shook up the session by spinning in the last corner. It cost rival George Russell his last lap, but Norris, who crossed the finish line last, did manage to snatch pole from Hamilton at the last minute.
Fast Ferraris
“Ferrari was incredibly fast all day,” said the reigning world champion. “However, we were also right there from the start; we brought some upgrades this weekend and they seem to be paying off. I just had a lot of confidence today,” Norris assured. “My first lap in Q3 wasn’t great, so I’m somewhat surprised that it still worked out. The team has done a great job all weekend; I just have to be incredibly grateful for their hard work.”
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Can Norris convert his first pole position of the year into a victory? “Of course, I have the best chances, but these guys (Ferrari, ed.) have been very fast at the starts all year,” he reacted. “Today we did what we had to do – now it’s important that we prepare as well as possible for tomorrow.”
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