Updated

Updated · Sky Sports · Jul 25

Lando Norris Tops Hungarian GP Practice in 1:17.939 as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes Converge

Updated

Updated · Sky Sports · Jul 25

Lando Norris Tops Hungarian GP Practice in 1:17.939 as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes Converge

Q: Will McLaren's sudden surge in final practice secure their first pole on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult?

McLaren look like genuine pole contenders, but final practice alone does not make them favorites by any safe margin. Norris’s 1:17.939 was the quickest lap of the weekend so far and a clear sign that McLaren’s upgrade package is working at a high-downforce circuit that should suit it. That matters more than usual at the Hungaroring, where overtaking is limited and track position often shapes the race. If McLaren can convert that pace over one lap, pole could be especially valuable. But the margins are tiny. Hamilton was only 0.117s behind, Antonelli 0.129s back, with Leclerc and Piastri also close enough to stay in the fight. Ferrari had looked strongest on Friday, and Mercedes still have Antonelli firmly in contention even if Russell struggled. That makes qualifying likely to come down to execution rather than outright pace alone. There are also reasons for caution. Norris himself had been wary before the weekend about overestimating the upgrade impact, and McLaren’s main weakness this season has often been qualifying rather than race pace. Track evolution, hot conditions and tyre management could also shift the balance quickly between Q1 and Q3. So McLaren’s surge has absolutely put them in position to take a first pole of the season, and at this circuit that would be hugely important. But with Ferrari and Mercedes separated by little more than a tenth, it is not secured; it is a live three-team fight that may be decided by the final lap in Q3.

3 articles · Updated · Sky Sports · Jul 25

Norris clocked 1:17.939 in final practice at the Hungaroring, beating Lewis Hamilton by 0.117 seconds and title leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.129 ahead of qualifying.
McLaren’s upgraded car looked transformed from Friday, with Norris finding extra pace on his second soft-tyre flying lap to dislodge Ferrari after Hamilton had set the early benchmark.
The front remained tightly packed: Charles Leclerc was fourth, 0.3 seconds off the pace, Oscar Piastri fifth, while George Russell stayed adrift in sixth at 0.6 seconds down.
Red Bull lagged with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar only seventh and eighth, while Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg led the midfield battle in ninth and 10th.
Problems persisted elsewhere: Arvid Lindblad managed just six laps after a power-unit change, Sergio Perez stopped after a brake fire, and Aston Martin’s heavily upgraded car returned to place 17th and 18th.