Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; PGLive provides the summary and editorial framing.
McLaren Sets the Pace at Hungaroring
Lando Norris topped the timesheet in the final practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, signaling a potential challenge for McLaren’s first pole position of the season. Norris improved on his second flying lap on soft tyres to edge out Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
While Ferrari entered the weekend as favorites following a strong Friday, the team remained competitive but ultimately trailed the leading McLaren and Mercedes entries. Antonelli, who experienced a difficult opening day, returned to the front of the field to finish third, while his Mercedes teammate George Russell struggled to find pace, ending the session in sixth.
Session Standings and Technical Setbacks
The top of the order remains tightly contested, with Charles Leclerc placing fourth for Ferrari and Oscar Piastri fifth for McLaren. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar finished seventh and eighth, respectively. In the midfield, Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) rounded out the top ten.
Technical issues disrupted the session for several teams:
- Racing Bulls: Arvid Lindblad was limited to six laps due to a power-unit change.
- Cadillac: Sergio Perez’s session ended early after a brake fire forced him to stop at Turn One.
The field now prepares for the qualifying session, which remains the primary indicator of performance for Sunday's race. With the top teams separated by narrow margins, the battle for grid position is expected to be highly competitive.
