JULY 25, 2026

Penalties reshape Hungarian GP race grid

Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli have been handed three-place grid penalties that have reshaped the order for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton qualified second for Ferrari with a 1m17.219s lap, only 0.012 seconds behind polesitter Lando Norris, but will start fifth after the stewards ruled he had impeded another driver.

The penalty promotes Charles Leclerc, who recorded 1m17.445s, to the front row alongside Norris, whose 1m17.207s secured pole. Oscar Piastri advances to third after qualifying fifth with 1m17.684s, while Max Verstappen moves from sixth to fourth following his 1m17.725s effort.

Antonelli qualified fourth in 1m17.479s but will line up seventh after failing to slow sufficiently for a single yellow flag at Turn 14. Telemetry showed he lifted 16 metres earlier and entered the sector 14km/h slower than on his previous push lap, but was 3km/h faster while passing Verstappen’s incident.

The stewards said Antonelli’s speed reduction was insufficient and unsustained. The Mercedes driver also received one penalty point, taking his 12-month total to four.

George Russell consequently rises to sixth after setting 1m17.760s. He had a 1m42.565s lap deleted for passing through a double-yellow sector, but that deletion did not affect his classification. Russell also escaped further action for exceeding the maximum time between the safety-car lines because he had slowed to avoid impeding others.

Antonelli received a separate warning for exceeding that same time limit on an in-lap. No other car was affected.

Hamilton’s demotion places him behind Verstappen and ahead of Russell, adding a strategic complication on a circuit where overtaking is traditionally difficult. Antonelli now shares the fourth row with Hadjar, while McLaren gains another car among the first three starting positions.

Isack Hadjar retains eighth with 1m17.856s, followed by Arvid Lindblad on 1m18.281s and Nico Hulkenberg on 1m18.686s.

Liam Lawson starts 11th after a 1m18.765s, ahead of Pierre Gasly’s 1m18.844s, Franco Colapinto’s 1m19.027s and Gabriel Bortoleto’s 1m19.105s.

Esteban Ocon recorded 1m19.734s for 15th, with Fernando Alonso 16th on 1m19.808s and Oliver Bearman 17th after setting 1m20.233s.

Carlos Sainz starts 18th with 1m20.621s, ahead of Alex Albon’s 1m20.658s and Lance Stroll’s 1m20.659s. Valtteri Bottas recorded 1m20.886s, while Sergio Perez’s 1m21.322s leaves him last.

Several track-limits laps were deleted, including attempts by Leclerc, Sainz, Bortoleto and Antonelli, but none changed the final classification. Norris remains on pole, while the penalties leave Ferrari’s drivers occupying second and fifth and give Piastri and Verstappen improved attacking positions for the race.