McLaren secured pole position for the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix and left the qualifying session with plenty of reasons to celebrate. Lando Norris guaranteed the first position on the starting grid, while Oscar Piastri advanced to third after the penalty applied to Kimi Antonelli, confirming the team’s evolution in Budapest.
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The result gained even more importance due to the performance presented by the new update package. Both the drivers and team principal, Andrea Stella, highlighted that the changes delivered exactly what was expected, putting McLaren in direct contention with Ferrari.
Norris stated that he returned to pole after a long period and attributed the result to the team’s work. The Briton emphasized that he felt comfortable throughout the weekend and acknowledged the impact of the new features introduced to the car.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to be back on pole, it’s been a while, but I felt confident all weekend. The car was very competitive, and the team did a brilliant job with the new updates. We certainly wouldn’t be here without them. This result is a testament to the work done at the factory and the progress we are making,” he stated.
Despite the privileged position, Norris believes the race will be one of the most challenging of the season: “We are in the best position we’ve been all year, but I expect a very tough fight tomorrow. Ferrari showed incredible pace, and tire degradation will be an important factor. Starting at the front is an advantage, but we need a good start and excellent race management,” he added.
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Piastri, in turn, regretted not being able to complete his last flying lap in Q3 after being hindered by Lewis Hamilton at turn 1. Still, the Australian highlighted the progress shown throughout the weekend, especially after using the new package only in FP3.
“We had more performance to show, but I was hampered by Hamilton at turn 1 and couldn’t complete my last attempt. It’s encouraging to see Lando on pole and realize that we are evolving. The team did a great job with the new package, and we will continue to look for more and more lap time,” he said, after being promoted from P5 to P3, thanks to Antonelli’s penalty.
Stella described the pole as a fantastic and even unexpected result. The team principal emphasized that Piastri did not participate in FP1 but managed to evolve quickly. Despite the optimism, he adopted caution for the race: “Ferrari remains the favorite for the race. We know we still need to work to be in this position consistently, but the good news is that we are in the fight. We hope to take advantage of this opportunity and deliver a strong performance with both drivers,” concluded the McLaren boss.
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