Lando Norris arrived at Budapest confident that McLaren’s latest upgrade package would deliver a genuine step forward, and pole position in Saturday’s qualifying at the Hungaroring delivered a valuable confirmation.
The reigning world champion produced a late masterstroke in the session’s shootout to beat Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc by just 0.012 seconds, securing the front spot on the grid in a tightly contested battle that left even Norris slightly surprised.
Despite topping final practice earlier in the day and showing strong pace throughout the weekend, the McLaren driver admitted he did not feel he had produced the perfect lap when it mattered most.
“I’m very, very happy – very happy to be back on top,” said Norris, with the result marking his and McLaren’s first pole of 2026.
“A tough, tough quali. Obviously these guys here [the Ferrari drivers] were very quick. It’s been pretty tight the whole weekend.
“We’ve seemed quick from the first laps that we did. We brought a few upgrades, and it’s hard to know how much it helps in terms of lap time, but it certainly helped today.
“I’m very, very happy to be back on top, especially at a track where you want to be on pole.”
A confidence boost from McLaren’s upgrades
Norris’ victory in the qualifying duel was particularly significant given how closely matched the leading teams had been around the technical Hungaroring layout.
Hamilton had looked in control after the opening Q3 runs, but neither the Ferrari driver nor Leclerc could improve on their final attempts, opening the door for Norris to strike.
©McLaren
The McLaren driver revealed that his confidence had been building all day, even if his final laps were far from flawless.
“Honestly, I had confidence the whole of today. My laps in Q3 were not the best, even the one at the end, so I’m pleasantly surprised to be on top,” he said.
“We’ve been doing a good job, the car’s been feeling good, I’ve had good confidence. I certainly pushed it a little bit more on the last lap… some paid off, some didn’t, but the main thing is we did it in the end.
Hungarian Grand Prix - Qualifying results“I’m very, very pleased for the team, a big thanks to them for working so hard, and another big job tomorrow.”
The result provided a timely reward for McLaren after introducing upgrades designed to improve the performance of its challenger.
While Norris was cautious about quantifying the gains, he was encouraged by how the car responded around a circuit where qualifying position can prove crucial.
Pole secured, but race battle awaits
With pole position finally secured, Norris immediately turned his attention toward converting Saturday’s success into McLaren’s first Grand Prix victory of the season.
The Briton knows the challenge will be far from straightforward, particularly with Ferrari starting alongside him and expected to be strong off the line.
“I mean, I’m in the best position for it, of course, but these guys [Ferrari] get good starts, they’ve been fast all season,” he commented. “I’m expecting still a tough race.
“Obviously they did Q1 on the mediums, so it’ll be interesting to know what tyre they’re going to start on tomorrow. They may be in potentially a slightly better position with some things, but otherwise we did the job that we had to do today, so I’m pleased for that.
“Tonight, we’ll make sure we prepare in the best way possible for tomorrow.”
After a season spent chasing the front, Norris can finally look down the grid from pole position again — and at the Hungaroring, that could prove to be the perfect place to rediscover winning form.
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