Lando Norris lit up his title hopes with a precarious pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Just when it looked as if the Briton had already done enough to start first, leading the time sheets with Max Verstappen’s final lap completed, RB’s Yuki Tsunoda lost control and went hard into the hoardings, causing a delay to proceedings while the debris was cleared.
Two minutes and 13 seconds remained on the clock – a one-lap shoot-out. Or so it seemed. But, as most drivers queued in the pit lane to do the final blast, rain spat. The pitch was queered. No improvements were possible.
So Norris, who admitted he had scuppered his chances of victory in Silverstone a fortnight ago, remained safe, 0.022 of a second clear of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. Verstappen was 0.046sec back in third.
He didn’t attempt to go again at the end, saving a set of tyres.
Lando Norris lit up his title hopes after taking pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix
Norris held off competition from team-mate Oscar Piastri in a front-row lockout for McLaren
World champion Max Verstappen settled for third place after opting to save a set of tyres
Hence McLaren’s first front-row lockout since 2012 and Norris’ third career pole as second in four races. He must now hope the advantage of having two orange cars at the front sees him close his championship gap to Verstappen, which stands at 84 points.
A poor day for Mercedes after all their high hopes. Lewis Hamilton survived into Q3 but only by the skin of his teeth. After winning in front of his home fans, this slight disappointment of qualifying fifth on a track where he has won a record eight times and registered nine poles.
His team-mate George Russell nabbed pole at Silverstone but failed to improve his time in Q1 this time around. He provisionally starts the race from 17th place. ‘Sorry about this session, guys,’ he told his team. ‘It’s on me.’
Sergio Perez’s future in the sport was plunged into further doubt when he crashed out in Q1 for the second successive race.
Norris (centre) will hope he is able to cut into Verstappen’s (right) championship lead
Pressure is building on Sergio Perez after the under-fire Red Bull man crashed again in Q1
Perez has curiously lost his direction since signing a new Red Bull contract six weeks ago
The Mexican has curiously lost his direction since signing a new Red Bull deal six weeks ago, having scored just 15 points in the last six outings. It is costing the team in the constructors’ championship. They are a decent but not overwhelming 71 points ahead of Ferrari.
Although signed for two years, his contract may not be enough to save his job. He was called in by boss Christian Horner – who recently described his driver’s form as ‘unsustainable’ – for a kitchen summit after Silverstone.
Perez’s accident, at Turn 8, caused a brief red-flag cessation. Perez, remarkably, finished a place ahead of Russell, as the light on-off rain inducing extra uncertainty.
Changes to either man’s car would change their grid positions.