Norris leads battling Red Bull duo to Hungary pole
Lando Norris has secured McLaren's second ever Formula 1 pole position after one of the most thrilling qualifying sessions of the season.
The British driver will be joined on the front row by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez after an intense last-lap battle.
Norris had been the one to beat in the final minutes of the session, posting a time of 1.17.330 to go two-tenths clear of Verstappen at the time.
But the Dutchman soon responded with a stunning lap of his own, moving within a hundredth-of-a-second of Norris with a time of 1.17.338.
Perez then went one step further, posting a time of 1.17.316 to move ahead of the two leading cars and claim provisional pole.
However, Norris would not be denied on his first pole position since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, and the 23-year-old responded with a brilliant lap of 1.17.225 to move back ahead.
Verstappen and Perez had gone for another final-lap attempt, but neither driver could improve on their best times, with Verstappen 0.113s down on Norris and Perez 0.091s further back.
The final moments of the session were a dramatic conclusion to a qualifying hour that had seen the order change several times.
Norris had opened the final Q3 run with a lap of 1.17.882, with Verstappen then moving ahead with a time of 1.17.675. Norris would respond though, moving back ahead with a time of 1.17.550 before Verstappen moved back ahead with a time of 1.17.439.
Perez then took the lead for the first time with a lap of 1.17.453, before Russell put Mercedes into the top three for the first time in the session, 0.2s behind Perez.
In the end, Norris would prove too strong, and the young Briton will start the race from the front row for the first time since last October's Japanese Grand Prix.
Conclusion
Norris's pole position is a major boost for McLaren, who have struggled for form in recent races. The result will also be a blow to Red Bull, who had been hoping to continue their recent run of dominance.
The Hungarian Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling race, with Norris and Verstappen likely to be the main protagonists. It will be a battle that is sure to go down to the wire.
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