Hungarian GP: Lando Norris jokes McLaren ‘new man’s land’ Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli wear pole as plot fightback | F1 News

Lando Norris said McLaren was in “no man’s land” before starting from the head of the grand prix grid for the first time this year, as Lewis Hamilton hoped he could fight back from his qualifying penalty at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

World champion Norris will start from pole position on Sunday for the first time since last November in Las Vegas after pipping Hamilton from the top of the timesheets with his final lap of Q3.

Hamilton was due to be a Ferrari driver alongside him on the front row but was handed a Three-place penalty for obstructing Oscar Piastre.

Third-fastest Charles Leclerc therefore moved up to second in the other Ferrari, while McLaren’s Piastre and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen moved into second after Kimi Antonelli’s own three-place penalty for speeding under yellow flags.

McLaren have finished first and second in each of the past two years in Hungary but looked to be the outsiders to claim a hat-trick of wins this time around.

However, their biggest upgrade to the MCL40 for several races coincided with strong form around the challenging Hungerring layout, with Norris particularly prolific.

Sunday’s 70-lap race assesses the key requirements as he goes for the first victory in his title defense, Norris said. Sky Sports F1: “You still need good speed, good tire management, of course a good start otherwise you learn as you go!

“You have to prepare well and we have very tough competition. The race pace of Mercedes and Ferrari was very good and they have been strong all year.

“We’re in a new man’s country. It’s our first time, so we’ll see what we can learn as we go and how we can adapt. I expect a very tough competition, but it’s not impossible.”

Two-time constructors’ champion McLaren’s last race win came courtesy of Norris in Brazil eight months ago, with the Woking team having so far managed just four podium finishes across the first 10 races of F1’s new rules era.

Norris, who was among the fastest drivers on track at Spa-Francorchamps last week but took a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding power-unit components, remains cautious.

“Let’s just wait and see. I mean, it’s just merit. It’s a long race ahead, and it’s going to be a tough one, so we’ll see,” he asserted.

“Obviously, if we go back to Spa last weekend, as I said then, I thought I had enough speed to definitely not be on pole, but definitely fight for a podium and possibly win, just in terms of speed. I obviously didn’t, but there was potential.

“It’s good to see it carried over to this weekend.

“We’ve come up with some good upgrades, as I said, and that potential has turned into results, which is always a very nice thing to see for the whole team and very good for the motivation and atmosphere within the team. It’s great to see the work going on and the rewards being reaped.

“So, very happy for all of them. But you can’t just rely on one good qualification, so I need a good race (Sunday).”

What can Hamilton and Antonelli do after the penalty?

For the third weekend running, Hamilton was handed a penalty by the stewards and the prospect of fighting for victory now looks like a major challenge.

Overtaking at the Hungerring is difficult due to the lack of straights but high tire degradation is expected which will enable different tactics to be used, so Hamilton should still at least have a good chance of a podium finish if Ferrari’s short run pace translates into strong long run pace.

In a lengthy post on Instagram on Saturday evening after his latest penalty was confirmed, Hamilton wrote: “Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. Another weekend when I’m feeling great throughout the session, but then it just falls apart. Very disappointing to start P5 from so close to pole.

“I always try my best to keep positive – sport is always about highs and lows, but it’s also about the margins.

“Every point counts and you have to make the most of every opportunity. After three penalties in three weekends, it’s getting hard to keep that positivity. Still, I won’t let setbacks take away from the progress we’re making as a team. With the momentum we have, I’m hopeful we can get something out of the race tomorrow.

“The car is feeling better and better, and we’ve been competitive all weekend.

“Tonight, we will work hard together to give ourselves (Sunday) the best chance. I always enjoy this track, so have faith and send good vibes for the race.”

For Antonelli, he is now the surprise to start one place behind team-mate George Russell with the Mercedes duo in sixth and seventh.

Antonelli leads Hamilton by 45 points and Russell, who starts sixth, by 50 points in the drivers’ championship but all three face the risk of staying in the pack for the long haul going into turn one.

The Mercedes teammates haven’t had an on-track battle since Canada nearly collided multiple times, so there will be plenty of focus on how well they battle each other after the lights go out in the final race before the summer break.

“The race is not going to be easy. Overtaking is going to be difficult, and we are starting further back than we could be,” said Antonelli.

“We also had good long run pace on Friday so we will do our best to fight for the win.”

Sky Sports F1’s Hungarian GP schedule

Sunday 26th July
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: Porsche Supercup
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Hungarian GP Build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: Hungarian Grand Prix*
4pm: Hungarian GP Reaction: Checkered Flag*
5pm: Ted’s Notebook*

*Also on Sky Sports main events

The Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix is ​​in Budapest with Sunday’s race at 2pm and the build-up from 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime