McLaren Dominates Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying
In a remarkable display of speed and teamwork, McLaren’s Lando Norris clinched his third career pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, secured the second spot, marking McLaren’s first front-row lockout in 12 years.
Norris, who previously won in Miami this season and has four podium finishes since, expressed confidence ahead of the race. “We’ve come into this weekend, and the last few, confident we can fight for pole,” he said. “We are in the best position for whatever the conditions throw at us.”
Piastri, brimming with excitement, highlighted the team’s achievement. “It’s an amazing result for the team,” the Australian rookie said. “Of course, I want to get into the lead, but we have both cars on the front row, and we are trying to win this championship as a team. We will be smart. We want to keep it one-two, and we will fight it amongst ourselves to see who gets one.”
Formula One leader Max Verstappen will start third on the grid. Despite not starting from pole in previous years, Verstappen has crossed the finish line first at the Hungaroring for the past two seasons, including an impressive victory last year from the tenth position. However, he acknowledged the challenge posed by McLaren. “I tried. The whole weekend we have been a little bit behind, and that was the case in qualifying. It just wasn’t enough, and it is difficult to pinpoint why,” Verstappen admitted. “I love competition, but I would like to be on top of the competition. But at the moment, I feel we are chasing, and I don’t back out of a fight, but it’s trickier.”
The Hungarian Grand Prix marks the beginning of the second half of the season, promising more competitive races ahead. With McLaren’s resurgence, the dynamics on the track are shifting, setting the stage for an exciting battle among the top teams.
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Norris takes pole ahead of McLaren teammate Piastri at Hungarian GP
cgtn.com
