Norris Pips Hamilton to Hungarian Pole as Verstappen Struggles with "Undriveable" Red Bull!

July 26, 2026 · 23 sources

Qualifying & Grid

Lando Norris snatched a sensational pole position for McLaren in the dying moments of qualifying, denying Hamilton a record-breaking Hungarian GP pole by the slimmest of margins. The Briton edged out the Ferrari driver in a nail-biting Q3 session that sets up a blockbuster battle at the front of the grid. Read More
It was a frustrating afternoon for Verstappen, who slammed his Red Bull as "undriveable" and "degrading" after struggling for pace and balance around the Hungaroring. The championship contender will have a massive job on his hands to carve through the field on Sunday. Read More
Mercedes had a mixed session, with Russell forced to stop on track at the end of Q3. The team has since confirmed the technical culprit behind the stoppage, though it compounded a difficult day for the Silver Arrows. Read More
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was hit with a triple punishment by the stewards, including a three-place grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement. However, newly surfaced telemetry data has sparked fresh debates over whether the FIA made the correct call. Read More

Aston Martin turned heads in the paddock after debuting a major upgrade package that immediately looked to have transformed the car's pace. Martin Brundle provided his first expert analysis of the green machine's new aero philosophy, which has dramatically altered the team's weekend trajectory. Read More
The FIA is reportedly reconsidering Charles Leclerc's controversial Spa penalty, with stewards allegedly admitting they made an error in their collision verdict. This rethink could have significant implications for how wheel-to-wheel racing is policed moving forward. Read More
Formula 1 officially debuted its new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ safety car at the Hungaroring this weekend. Long-time safety car driver Bernd Mayländer revealed the technical upgrades that make the new machine faster and more capable of keeping the field bunched up. Read More

Tensions briefly flared in Q3 when Hamilton was summoned to see the stewards over an impeding incident involving Piastri. The Australian didn't hold back, making a clear hand gesture toward the Ferrari driver as he felt his flying lap was compromised. Read More
Sainz escaped with just a warning after a scary moment where he braked early to warm his brakes while sitting on the racing line. The Williams driver later revealed he hadn't heard the team warn him about Verstappen approaching, as his radio cable had disconnected. Read More
Off the track, Red Bull appears to be aligning with exciting junior talent Ugo Ugochukwu. The youngster's emergence points to the energy drink giant fortifying its already deep driver development pipeline. Read More

Despite a "messy" qualifying that left him uncomfortable with the wind changes and new tarmac, Leclerc remains highly confident in his race pace. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur echoed this sentiment, insisting the Scuderia has the strategic flexibility to genuinely challenge for victory on Sunday. Read More
Mercedes prodigy Antonelli continues to draw rave reviews from the paddock, with Juan Pablo Montoya noting the championship leader is operating flawlessly within his "comfort zone." Racing driver and commentator Alex Brundle took it a step further, stating the Italian's current dominance and progression should be "terrifying" for his rivals. Read More

With parc ferme now sealed, the stage is set for a thrilling strategic battle at the Hungaroring, a circuit notoriously difficult for overtaking. All eyes will be on whether Norris can control the race from the front, or if Hamilton and Leclerc can leverage the undercut to reclaim track position. Read More
Away from the on-track action, the F1 world is eagerly awaiting an announcement from the Malaysian Prime Minister tomorrow regarding the potential return of the Sepang circuit to the calendar. A historic comeback for the sweeping Asian track could drastically shake up the future schedule. Read More