If the first two hours of practice are any indication, McLaren looks unstoppable at the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in both FP1 and FP2, with teammate Oscar Piastri on his heels in both sessions in P2.
But the beauty of this sport is that fortunes can, and often, change with one perfect lap.
We have seen this before during the 2025 F1 season. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Norris was fastest in both FP1 and FP3, but when the clock hit 0:00 and the checkered flag flew at the end of qualifying, it was Max Verstappen on pole position.
Can Verstappen, or perhaps Charles Leclerc, who was third in both FP1 and FP2, spoil the McLaren party? Speaking of spoilers, how about Isack Hadjar, who was fourth-fastest in FP1? Can he and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls deliver a shocker today? What about Aston Martin? Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso caught George Russell’s eye after FP2, as Stroll finished fourth and Alonso finished fifth. “Aston Martin seemed to have good pace on the single lap,” noted Russell in the Mercedes post-practice report on Friday.
It is shaping up to be a fascinating day at the Hungaroring, and we’ll have it all covered here at SB Nation. Qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix begins at 10:00 a.m., and we’ll provide updates throughout the morning here, so please check back early and often.
And tell a friend!
Notes: Updates are in Eastern Time.
Hungarian Grand Prix Provisional Qualifying Results
As results come in, the provisional grid will be filled out here:
Provisional Qualifying Results Hungarian GP
| Row | Position | Driver | Team | Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row | Position | Driver | Team | Position | Driver | Team |
| Row 1 | 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| Row 2 | 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 4 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| Row 3 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 6 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| Row 4 | 7 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| Row 5 | 9 | Liam Lawson | VCARB | 10 | Isack Hadjar | VCARB |
| Row 6 | 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| Row 7 | 13 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams | 14 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| Row 8 | 15 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 16 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull |
| Row 9 | 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| Row 10 | 19 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 20 | Alexander Albon | Williams |
Q3
11:03: Qualifying did deliver a stunner. CHARLES LECLERC TAKE POLE POSITION FOR THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX.
10:55: First runs are completed in Q3 and it is Piastri up top with 1 1:15.398. Norris is just off his pace with 1 1:15.494, 0.096 seconds back.
Russell is third, followed by Alonso in fourth and Verstappen in fifth.
10:52: Stroll is first out on the track, followed by Alonso.
10:51: Q3 is underway. 12 minutes to finalize the grid for tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
10:48: We should note that after Norris in P1 and Piastri in P2 to close out Q2, Stroll was in third and Alonso in fifth.
Aston Martin might be cooking here …
Russell finished fourth in Q2, with Leclerc in sixth. Hadjar, Verstappen, Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto are the other driver to advance to the final segment of qualifying.
10:46: According to Race Control, Q3 will start at 4:50 p.m. local time/10:50 a.m. Eastern.
Q2
10:43: Hamilton is out! He cannot find the time he needs to advance and he is eliminated in Q2, along with Antonelli, Bearman, Sainz, and Colapinto.
10:41: Apologies for the brief delay, in-car WiFi struggling at the moment …
Under two minutes remain in Q2 and Norris is up in P1 followed by Piastri. Final runs are underway with Antonelli, Bearman, Hamilton, Colapinto, and Sainz the five drivers at risk.
10:23: According to Race Control the start of Q2 will be delayed as marshalls clear debris off the track.
Q1
10:19: Leclerc makes it through at the end.
Liam Lawson crosses the line in P14 right at the end, and that drops Tsunoda into the bottom five. Tsunoda, Gasly, Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, and Alexander Albon are the five drivers eliminated.
10:17: Verstappen jumps to P7 and Tsunoda into P9, they should be through. Isack Hadjar jumps to P3 for the moment.
10:15: As noted above there was a thought that Aston Martin might deliver a surprise. That might be underway as Fernando Alonso has jumped up to P1, with Lance Stroll in P4.
Just over two minutes remain in Q1.
10:10: Early lap times are in and there are some surprises. Piastri leads the way, ahead of the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Norris is in fourth.
At the bottom of the timing sheets? Max Verstappen is in P13, with Yuki Tsunoda in P17. The Red Bull duo needs to find some time here if they want to book spots in Q2. The other four drivers in the drop zone with Tsunoda are Carlos Sainz Jr., Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, and Esteban Ocon.
10:03: Qualifying is underway at the Hungaroring.
Notes from FP3
9:20: The pattern largely held in FP3.
Charles Leclerc finished third behind the McLaren duo, but the names were flipped at the front. Oscar Piastri delivered a thunderous lap of 1:14.916 to set the pace. Lando Norris came close to matching Piastri’s lap, finishing 0.032 seconds off his teammates.
Leclerc’s time was 0.399 seconds behind Piastri.
Will McLaren’s dominance carry over to qualifying, or will the Hungaroring deliver a surprise?
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