McLaren surprised by Hungarian GP pole, says Stella

McLaren surprised by Hungarian GP pole, says Stella: McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella said Lando Norris’s unexpected pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix came as a positive surprise, even as Ferrari remains the favorite to win on Sunday. Norris secured pole at the Hungaroring in an upgraded car, beating Lewis Hamilton by 0.012 seconds to become the first non-Mercedes driver this season to take a grand prix pole. Hamilton was demoted to fifth after impeding, which moved Charles Leclerc to the front row, while Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli dropped three places for a yellow-flag breach. Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri starts third on a circuit where overtaking may be difficult and the start is expected to be decisive. Stella said the upgrades added “a few tenths,” but they did not expect pole. Norris said he was “pleasantly surprised” and credited the team’s new upgrades, though he expects a tough race as Ferrari won two of the last four events. Tire starting strategy was highlighted as a key uncertainty.