#F1 #HungarianGP #FP3: @LandoNorris pips @LewisHamilton by 0.117s.
Lando Norris, #1, McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL40, Free Practice 3, Formula 1 AWS Hungarian Grand Prix 2026, Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary. Image credit to Clive Rose/Getty Images. Norris Hungarian GP FP3, 2026 Hungarian GP FP3, F1 Hungarian GP FP3, Hungarian Grand Prix FP3 Results, Formula 1 Hungary FP3 Results.
Norris Hungarian GP FP3 – Reigning world champion Lando Norris pushed his upgraded McLaren MCL40 racer to the top of the time-sheets in FP3 at the Hungarian GP ahead of Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton as championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed the top three for Mercedes.
Norris on the C5 red side-walled softer compounds posted the time-topper of a 1:17.939 and was 0.117 seconds clear of Hamilton whilst Antonelli was a further 0.129 seconds adrift of the Briton in third.
After a brief three-minute lull, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was the first to hit the Hungaroring on a set of the C5 red-branded softer tyres.
The Argentine registered the early benchmark of a 1:22.464.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll joined Colapinto out on track on a set of the C4 mediums eight minutes into the session.
Colapinto lowered his best time to a 1:21.747 as Stroll posted a 1:24.496 to remain in second whilst Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg ventured out on the softs and mediums respectively.
Stroll had his lap-time invalidated as Bottas jumped to second on a 1:23.280 whilst Colapinto improved to a 1:21.132.
Hulkenberg on two personal bests and a purple sector three went quickest on a 1:20.643.
Stroll pushed to third on a 1:22.163 effort with three personal bests as McLaren’s Piastri, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Leclerc emerged just past the 15-minute mark of proceedings on the softs, mediums and softs respectively.
Piastri on his initial flyer on the softs set three purples to go fastest on a 1:19.918 to be 0.725 clear of Hulkenberg.
Leclerc with the best final sector moved up to second with a 1:20.155 to be 0.237 off Piastri whilst Hamilton slotted into third posting a 1:20.505.
RB’s Liam Lawson on the mediums set a 1:20.317 to go third in the order and 0.399 off of Piastri’s benchmark.
Reigning world champion Norris was next and with the best two opening sectors and a personal best sector three was up to P1 with a 1:19.062 to be 0.856 seconds clear of team-mate Piastri.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar split the McLaren’s to take second with three personal bests and set a 1:19.358 as the red flags were brought out at the 20th-minute-mark after Cadillac’s Sergio Perez was seen stopped at the turn two run off area with smoke coming from the rear brakes.
Replays showed the Mexican was driving slowly and then had a massive squirrely moment before he stopped.
“Lost the engine… And had a massive brake, looks like the brakes are on fire at the back,” Perez said.
After Perez’s MAC01 entry was cleared with 34 minutes remaining, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly lead the field out on the C5 red-marked softer compounds.
Gasly moved up into 11th overall on a 1:21.753 as Verstappen with three personal bests was up into third setting a 1:19.564 on the softs.
Leclerc was next and with two personal bests and a purple sector three was up into third posting a 1:19.387 as Antonelli with three personal bests moved to fifth on a 1:19.856.
Russell with the best sector one time and two personal bests jumped to second with a 1:19.286 whilst Norris was unable to improve on his next hot-lap but remained on top.
Piastri was next with three personal bests moved into second on a 1:19.236 whilst Hamilton put his Ferrari into P1 posting a 1:19.053 to go 0.009 seconds in-front of Norris.
Verstappen with the best middle sector pushed to fourth setting a 1:19.281 as team-mate Hadjar improved to third to be 0.032 seconds adrift of Hamilton setting a 1:19.085.
Leclerc on his next flying lap posted a purple middle sector to top the pile with a 1:18.668 as Championship leader Antonelli slotted into second with three personal bests to end up 0.144 seconds off the Ferrari driver.
With less than 20 minutes left on the clock, everyone bar Leclerc, Hamilton, Lawson, Gasly, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Haas’s Esteban Ocon, Colapinto, Bottas and Williams’ Carlos Sainz were still out on track.
Russell was back out again on the C5’s and the Mercedes driver backed off his flyer as his team-mate Antonelli went quickest on a 1:18.254 with the best opening sector time.
Piastri slotted into second with a purple middle sector posting a 1:18.464 to go second and was 0.210 off Antonelli.
Reigning world champion Norris was next and with two purples went quickest on a 1:18.206 to be 0.048 seconds in-front of Antonelli.
Verstappen with a personal best ended up fourth and 0.450 seconds off Norris as Russell with two personal bests could only reach sixth in the classification posting a 1:18.869.
Both Audi’s of Hulkenberg and Bortoleto jumped to ninth and tenth respectively on their qualifying simulation runs setting a 1:19.160 and 1:19.338.
Leclerc followed and with the best final sector moved up into third posting a 1:18.291 as team-mate Hamilton with two purples and the best middle sector jumped to the head of the pile with a 1:18.056.
Norris in the upgraded McLaren then snatched P1 back with the best sector two time and a personal best final sector on a 1:17.939 to end up 0.117 seconds clear of Hamilton.
Russell with two personal bests could only reach sixth overall and was 0.602 seconds adrift of Norris’s benchmark.
Antonelli was next and with two personal bests moved into third place on a 1:18.068.
Replays showed Hamilton on his flyer suffer a snap and went through the run-off at the turns six and seven chicane.
The session ended with Norris on top and ahead of Hamilton and Antonelli who rounded out the top three.
Leclerc placed fourth and in-front of Piastri who took fifth and Russell who finished final practice sixth.
Red Bull duo Verstappen and Hadjar were seventh and eighth respectively whilst Lawson and Hulkenberg completed the top ten.
You can see the full Formula 1 AWS Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 AWS HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 – PRACTICE 3
#F1 #HungarianGP #FP2: @LewisHamilton heads @ScuderiaFerrari 1-2, #Antonelli 13th.
#F1 #HungarianGP #FP1: @CharlesLeclerc quickest ahead of @Max33Verstappen, @LewisHamilton.
