Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix as McLaren sealed a front-row lockout in a chaotic session.
Norris kept his focus – as rain before and during qualifying created a dramatic spectacle at the Hungaroring – to narrowly beat his team-mate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to pole.
The Brit had set the fastest time before Yuki Tsunoda’s crash brought out the second of two red flags with two minutes and 13 seconds remaining in Q3, after which more rain fell to ensure the leaders were unable to improve on used tyres.
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Yuki Tsunoda completely loses it after going wide on Turn Five and brings out the red flag
Moments before Tsunoda’s crash, as the drivers did what were meant to be their second and final flying laps of Q3, Piastri had gone just 0.022s slower than Norris, with Verstappen only a further couple of hundredths back in third. Norris was unable to finish his second effort due to the incident.
Carlos Sainz was fourth and Charles Leclerc sixth, with Lewis Hamilton splitting the Ferraris in fifth after his Mercedes team-mate George Russell made a shock Q1 exit as a result of the team failing to provide him with enough fuel.
Sergio Perez was also knocked out in Q1 after causing the first red flag of the session with a big crash, which will only increase speculation that he could remarkably be let go by Red Bull just a few months after signing a contract extension.
Norris, with the buffer of Piastri in second, has created a strong opportunity to close Verstappen’s 84-point lead over him at the top of the world championship.
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Sergio Perez crashed out of qualifying in Q1 after the Red Bull driver slammed straight into the barriers
McLaren are also well placed to close a seven-point deficit to second-placed Ferrari in the constructors’ standings, and to decrease a 78-point gap to leaders Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll took seventh and eighth, respectively, in an improved performance from Aston Martin.
Daniel Ricciardo beat RB team-mate Tsunoda to ninth, with the Australian gaining a position after becoming the only driver to improve his time in the period at the end of Q3 following the red flag.
Sky Sports F1’s live Hungarian GP schedule
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What to expect at the Hungaroring
Sunday July 21
7:20am: F3 Feature Race
9am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Hungarian GP build-up
2pm: The HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Hungarian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
Next up for F1 is the Hungarian Grand Prix from Budapest on July 19-21. You can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
