McLaren star Lando Norris tops the final practice session ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli as qualifying looms at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
BUDAPEST: Reigning Formula One world champion Lando Norris delivered the fastest lap in the final practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, giving McLaren a confidence boost ahead of Saturday’s qualifying at the Hungaroring.
Norris posted a best time of 1 minute 17.939 seconds, finishing 0.117 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, while Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli secured third place, just 0.129 seconds behind the McLaren driver.
The final practice session highlighted McLaren’s impressive speed on a hot afternoon in Budapest, with Norris becoming the quickest driver before qualifying. Ferrari also looked competitive as Hamilton continued his strong weekend performance by finishing second.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc placed fourth, while McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri completed the top five, underlining the close battle expected during qualifying.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli impressed once again by taking third for Mercedes. However, it marked the first time this season that Mercedes failed to top the final practice session before qualifying, reflecting how evenly matched the leading teams have become.
Mercedes driver George Russell finished sixth behind Piastri.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen ended the session in seventh place for Red Bull, followed by teammate Isack Hadjar in eighth.
Liam Lawson claimed ninth for Racing Bulls, while Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten for Audi.
Aston Martin endured another challenging session despite introducing upgraded B-spec cars this weekend.
Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso finished 17th, narrowly ahead of teammate Lance Stroll, who returned after mechanics repaired his car following a suspension issue during Friday’s practice.
Drivers faced extremely demanding conditions, with track temperatures reaching 52°C (126°F) after overnight repairs were carried out to smooth the circuit surface following complaints about bumps.
The session was briefly stopped after Sergio Perez’s Cadillac came to a halt at Turn 2 with overheated brakes, triggering a red flag while marshals cleared the stranded car.
Following the restart, teams switched to qualifying simulations, producing several rapid lap times during the closing stages.
Ferrari initially looked set to finish fastest after Hamilton produced an impressive lap on fresh soft tyres.
However, Norris responded immediately by becoming the first driver to break the 1 minute 18 second barrier, reclaiming the top spot and ending the session with the quickest time before qualifying.
With McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull separated by only fractions of a second, fans can expect a fiercely contested qualifying session and an exciting Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.
