McLaren’s Lando Norris takes pole position for Hungarian Grand Prix

BUDAPEST – Lando Norris never doubted himself, or McLaren, as he spoke of his team’s confidence after clinching pole position to lead a one-two for the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 20.

Teammate Oscar Piastri will start alongside the Briton in a front-row lockout for the race on July 21, as McLaren sent out a warning to Red Bull that they are ready for battle.

Red Bull’s Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen qualified third after the third qualifying session that was red-flagged when RB’s Yuki Tsunoda crashed in rainy conditions and then re-started with two minutes remaining.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will start alongside Verstappen on the second row. 

“Very, very happy. Not an easy qualifying with different conditions like that, but ending up on top is the best part of it all. Especially for the team, a one-two is even better, so congrats to the team,” said Norris.

“We have already got confidence, so it’s not like we need a lot more of it or we are searching for it.

“We have come into this weekend confident we can do a good job and we have a good car to fight for pole, which is what we did today.

“We are in the best position for whatever the conditions throw at us. Two cars at the front row, we can control it from there, so as long as we stay where we are we’ll be happy.”

Australian Piastri was equally thrilled with the team’s excellent qualifying results.

“To end up with both cars on the front row was an amazing result. We have a big task ahead of us trying to win this championship as a team,” he said.

“We’ll be smart. We’ve got a very quick car that’s been working extremely well this weekend.”

Ahead of the main race, Verstappen leads the standings on 255 points over Norris (171) and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (150), and Norris could well close the gap further should he claim victory.

Verstappen’s under-pressure teammate Sergio Perez crashed out in the first qualifying session, triggering the first red flag of the day and increasing pressure on his job as the Dutch driver’s No. 2 at Red Bull.

The 34-year-old also crashed in the first phase of qualifying at the previous round in Britain on July 6.

The Mexican has taken just 15 points from the last six races and his future as teammate to three-time world champion Verstappen, who has won seven of 12 races, is being increasingly questioned.

The Dutchman, meanwhile, is focused on his own race.

“The whole weekend we have been a little bit behind and that was also the case in qualifying,” he said.

“I tried to make it as close as possible but unfortunately just not enough. I would have liked a bit more grip but it’s not there at the moment.

“I just hope that tomorrow the car is good and at least we can follow them (the McLarens) and see what we can do there. I don’t back out of a fight, but just a tricky situation I guess.”

Daniel Ricciardo, a former winner on the circuit, produced a late flash of speed once Q1 resumed after the red flag to top the times in his RB from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, with the latter’s teammate George Russell the big-name absentee from Q2.

Norris then led the pack into the top-10 shoot-out, with Hamilton, who broke his lengthy winless run at Silverstone in the last race, sneaking through with the slowest time of the middle leg of qualifying.

Tsunoda ended up in a wall in his RB, forcing a second red flag with just two minutes left and Norris and Piastri provisionally locking out the front row for McLaren.

Verstappen had to sit out the conclusion of qualifying when it resumed, after Tsunoda’s stricken RB was removed due to an issue with his car as McLaren sealed the deal.

Hamilton is on the third row after the fifth-fastest time ahead of Leclerc, Aston Martin duo Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, with Ricciardo and Tsunoda completing the top 10. AFP, REUTERS