Lewis Hamilton missed Hungarian Grand Prix pole position by just 0.012 seconds as Lando Norris delivered a decisive final lap for McLaren at the Hungaroring. The Ferrari driver secured second place ahead of Charles Leclerc, but two small mistakes on his first Q3 attempt ultimately prevented him from converting the SF-26’s potential into pole.
For Ferrari, it was an uncomfortable repeat of Monaco. The Italian team had arrived in Hungary as the favourite, partly because the SF-26’s strength through low-speed corners appeared well suited to the Hungaroring, yet once again it ended Saturday without pole position. Lando Norris recorded a 1m17.207s to claim the 17th pole of his Formula 1 career and end Mercedes’ run of consecutive poles.
The reigning world champion produced an excellent middle sector, where McLaren’s updates made a significant difference, before completing the lap that denied Lewis Hamilton by the narrowest of margins. Unlike the Ferrari driver, Lando Norris found the necessary improvement on his second Q3 attempt.
Ferrari needed to execute more effectively in round 11 of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The potential was there, but the SF-26 did not look as convincing as it had on Friday. Finding a better balance and bringing the tyres into the correct operating window proved essential. Charles Leclerc eventually qualified third, leaving Lewis Hamilton to secure the only Ferrari place on the front row.
Q1: Charles Leclerc forced into additional runs on medium tyres
Ferrari sent both cars onto the track with yellow-marked Pirelli medium tyres for the opening stint. The compound had not previously been used on Saturday, meaning the team’s available information came from Friday’s running.
Lewis Hamilton completed a relatively clean lap and immediately returned to the pits. Charles Leclerc, by contrast, encountered traffic and decided to remain on the circuit for another attempt to move up the classification.
The Monegasque failed to improve and returned to the garage, only to be sent back out of the pit lane for another flying lap. His previous time would probably have been sufficient to progress without difficulty, but the additional attempt was also important for Charles Leclerc to develop greater confidence in the car.
After preparing the tyres, Charles Leclerc began his next flying lap on the same medium compound. His handling performance was considerably cleaner, although he was still unable to extract the SF-26’s full potential. The gap of more than two tenths to Lewis Hamilton underlined the difference between the two Ferrari drivers during the opening phase.
By the end of Q1, the feeling surrounding the Italian cars was less encouraging than expected. Ferrari had progressed safely, but neither the balance nor the level of performance suggested that the team was yet making the most of a package that had also received an upgraded “Macarena” rear wing for the Hungaroring.
Q2: Ferrari improve and enter the fight for the front row
The competitive picture began to become clearer in Q2. Leading teams generally stop concealing their true pace at this stage of qualifying, and Ferrari needed a substantial improvement after an unspectacular opening session.
Tyre preparation remained one of the most important considerations. Maximum grip was vital to accessing the car’s performance around a circuit where the corners arrive in quick succession and offer little opportunity for the tyres to recover.
Charles Leclerc was the first Ferrari driver to leave the garage, using a brand-new set of red-marked Pirelli soft tyres. Race engineer Bryan Bozzi gave him several instructions before the Monegasque began his first flying attempt.
However, Charles Leclerc encountered a yellow flag after Isack Hadjar ran wide. He was forced to lift in the third sector, heavily compromising his lap time.
Lewis Hamilton had also joined the circuit and encountered no such problem. The British driver immediately moved to the top of the classification, producing an especially impressive third sector. Despite setting the fastest time, he reported over the radio that he was far from satisfied with his performance.
Following another stop, both Ferrari drivers returned to the track. Charles Leclerc moved into second place on new tyres, while Lewis Hamilton took third using a previously used set. Ferrari was finally beginning to demonstrate the pace expected before qualifying and placed itself firmly in contention for the front row.
How Lewis Hamilton missed Hungarian GP pole by 0.012s
Q3 represented the decisive test. Ferrari had a genuine opportunity, but the competition was extremely strong and a perfect lap was required. Both SF-26 cars left the pits on new Pirelli soft tyres, with particular attention being paid to the out-lap and the need to bring the tyres through the correct hysteresis cycle before reaching their target temperature.
Lewis Hamilton made two small mistakes on his first attempt but still moved into provisional pole position. Charles Leclerc finished two tenths behind, effectively losing his opportunity to join his team-mate on the front row with a less-than-ideal performance through Turn 1.
Charles Leclerc discussed tyre preparation over the radio, explaining that the tyres had not felt right during the opening sector. Bryan Bozzi instructed him to carry more speed through Turn 12 on the following out-lap to generate additional temperature.
Lewis Hamilton said nothing over the radio, appearing to understand where the necessary improvement could be found. After a very brief pause, the field returned to the circuit for the final qualifying attempts.
Unfortunately for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton made another mistake at Turn 1 and was unable to improve during the remainder of the lap. Charles Leclerc also failed to lower his time. Max Verstappen then spun, triggering yellow flags that forced the Ferrari drivers to lift, although neither appeared to be on course for an improvement at that stage.
Lando Norris was the driver who extracted everything from his McLaren MCL40. His 1m17.207s lap gave him pole position by only 12 thousandths of a second, rewarding the improvement he found on his second attempt and ending Mercedes’ qualifying streak. The result added another twist to the closely balanced fight between Ferrari and Mercedes in Hungary.
There was understandable regret for Ferrari because a cleaner first Q3 lap from Lewis Hamilton would have been enough to secure pole. Nevertheless, second and third place leave both SF-26 cars in a strong position for the race, particularly at a circuit where overtaking can be difficult. Lewis Hamilton will also start from the front row at a venue where his exceptional Hungarian Grand Prix record had already strengthened hopes of another Ferrari victory.
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