Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix was confirmed as he took a new power unit in practice at Spa-Francorchamps on Friday.

Under Formula One's regulations, drivers are permitted to use a maximum of four internal combustion engines (ICEs) throughout the 2024 campaign.

Verstappen took his fifth new ICE of the year for Friday's first practice session, triggering the automatic penalty for Sunday's race. 

He proceeded to set the pace in first practice with a fastest lap of 1:43.372, going half a second faster than Oscar Piastri, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix last week.

The three-time world champion will also drop five places if he takes a new ICE at any other race this year. 

RB's Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, will start at the back of the grid in Belgium after taking a fifth ICE as well as additional engine parts.

With his penalty confirmed, Verstappen will now be desperate to perform in qualifying, having only taken pole at one of the last six races. 

He did, however, win the recent Spanish and Canadian Grands Prix when not starting at the front. His 29 race victories when not starting on pole are the fourth-most by any driver in F1 history.

The penalty does represent an almighty blow to Verstappen's hopes of avoiding a third straight race without winning, though. 

He last went more consecutive races without a victory in 2020, failing to win in 11 outings from Spain to Sakhir.   

Lewis Hamilton was left surprised by the stewards' interpretation of his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix last week. 

Hamilton, who finished in third at the Hungaroring to claim a 200th podium finish, was involved in an incident with the reigning world champion on lap 63 in Budapest. 

The pair made contact heading into Turn One, with the Dutchman attempting to go up the inside but in doing so locked up his front tyres, briefly sending him into the air. 

Although neither driver was penalised for the incident, the stewards suggested that the seven-time world champion could have done more to avoid the collision. 

"I was really, really surprised by it," said the Mercedes driver of the full stewards' judgement, which was issued several hours after the end of the race.

"I think already I was very relaxed about the situation and just saying 'look, it's just a racing incident, let's just move on'.

"But considering one car was in control and one car was not in control at the time - obviously when all the wheels are locked, you're not in control - and if you look at the replay at the end of the move I'm very, very far from the apex, so there's a lot of room on the right-hand side.

"So I was very, very surprised by the stewards. I don't know who typed it up but… that will be a question when I speak to them at some stage."

Verstappen, who has the opportunity to become the third driver to win four times in a row at Spa this weekend, endured a difficult race last time out. 

The Dutchman finished in fifth in Budapest and is without a win in his last four races, the last time he failed to win four meetings was back in 2020. 

His frustrations at the Hungaroring boiled over, repeatedly expressing his frustration and anger at his team's strategy and his car's performance over the radio.

"You have to be a team leader, a team member," said Hamilton. 

"Maybe not such a team leader, just always remember you are a team-mate with lots of people and you have to act like a world champion."

When asked to elaborate on that latter point, Hamilton replied: "That is a good question… Not like it was last weekend."

Hamilton, who has won the Belgium Grand Prix four times in his career, arrives at Spa full of confidence following his recent displays. 

Having endured a difficult start to the season, but three podium places in his last four races, including ending his 945-day wait for a win following a record ninth triumph at Silverstone, has seen the Brit back to his best. 

Mercedes remain fourth in the Constructor's Championship, but have closed the gap to Ferrari to 81 points, with upgrades expected on their car this weekend, including a new front wing, floor and beam wing, something that has excited Hamilton. 

"I still feel so much youth, am energised, driven and love working with the team.

"We have got some upgrades this weekend, so I can't wait to see how that feels on the track. Hopefully it's another step in the right direction and I'm excited for the next part of the season."

Max Verstappen has hit back at critics following his radio frustration during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who has won each of the last three races at the Belgian Grand Prix, which comes up this weekend, became increasingly frustrated at the Hungaroring last week as he finished in fifth place following a coming together with Lewis Hamilton late on.

The three-time reigning Formula One world champion is set for a 10-place grid penalty at Spa this weekend after exceeding his engine allowance for the season. 

Verstappen has not won any of the last three races, and has seen his lead at the top of the Driver's Championship cut to 76 points by Lando Norris.

The Dutchman's recent frustrations boiled over in Hungary, spiralling into an X-rated rant at Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

But Verstappen has no regrets.

"People that don't like my language, don't listen in or change the volume down. I'm very driven for success. I've proven that already," said Verstappen.

"I always want to optimise stuff. People can argue that you might not be so vocal on the radio, but that's their opinion.

"My opinion is that it needs to be said at the time to maybe also try and force [things]. That's how it goes.

"We are very open-minded. We are very critical of each other as a team, and that's been working for us very well, so I don't expect that to change."

The last time Verstappen failed to win in four races in a row was in the 2020 season, but Red Bull are showing signs of vulnerability.

And he will face an enormous task to triumph for a 62nd time in the competition, although he is ranked as the fourth driver in F1 history with the most wins without starting from the front of the grid (29). 

Verstappen made light work of the power unit components penalty he sustained at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, making his way from 14th to win the race. 

Should he emerge victorious this time around, he will become only the third driver to win four in a row on Belgian soil after Ayrton Senna (1988 to 1991) and Jim Clark (1962 to 1965). 

"If you look at our last few races where we haven't particularly been the fastest, I wouldn't say that with 10 places extra, we have a chance of winning," said Verstappen.

"But a race can always be turned upside down with moments, so you have to be open-minded, try to make the best of it and that's all we will try to do.

"We also don't know how competitive we will be. There's new tarmac, so we need to see how the tyres respond to that as well.

"There's a lot of unknowns with the weather too. Quite a bit of rain is expected tomorrow and Saturday, so we need to follow the weather and our progression this weekend to see how competitive we are."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Charles Leclerc - Ferrari

Despite being beaten in both qualifying and the main event in each of the last two races by team-mate Carlos Sainz, Leclerc will be keen to get points on the board in Belgium. 

Leclerc has not been among the podium places since his maiden triumph at Monaco in May, but the omens are in his favour with the Italian team achieving more victories (14), more pole positions (12) and more podiums (41) at Spa. 

Ferrari have enjoyed recent races in Belgium, taking pole in the last two editions, with Leclerc doing so in 2023.

Should they repeat the trick, it will be the second time they have done so after 1974 (Clay Regazzoni at Nivelles), 1975 and 1976 (Niki Lauda in both at Zolder).

Leclerc and Sainz will contest their 79th race as Ferrari team-mates, making them the seventh-highets pair with the most races with the same team in F1, surpassing the 78 of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for Mercedes.

Lando Norris - McLaren

While a radio spat of his own at the Hungarian Grand Prix overshadowed an eighth podium place of the season, Norris will be eyeing another impressive run at Spa.

And he now has a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on Verstappen.

The Brit has taken pole position in two of the last four races, after taking just one in his previous 113 starts in F1.

Excluding Hamilton, who did it twice in 2012, Norris could be the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back pole positions since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 (Germany and Hungary).

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 265
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 162
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 154
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 149

Constructors

1. Red Bull - 389
2. McLaren - 338
3. Ferrari - 322
4. Mercedes - 241
5. Aston Martin - 69

Lando Norris admits he is "not too proud" of the way he overshadowed team-mate Oscar Piastri's first Formula One victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend.

Piastri led Norris in a McLaren one-two at the Hungaroring, though the Brit did not allow his team-mate back into the lead following the pit stops until the very end of the race, despite being ordered over team radio to do so.

The incident cast a shadow over McLaren's first one-two since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, at which Norris was second to Daniel Ricciardo.

After the controversy, Piastri became the seventh different race winner in F1 this season. Only 11 seasons have ever seen more – 11 in 1982, nine in 1975, and eight in 1977, 1983, 1985, 2003 and 2012.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Norris acknowledged he had regrets, saying: "Could it have been handled slightly differently from both the team side and a personal side? 

"Yes, absolutely, and I think we wouldn't have been having this conversation now in some ways.

"Whether people on the outside are going to come up with their own stories of what happened and what I would and wouldn't have done, I don't mind that.

"The things that I could have done, the fact that I kind of clouded over Oscar's first race win in Formula One is something I've not felt too proud about.

"The fact we had a one-two and that was barely a headline after the race… The fact we had a one-two and nothing was really said about it, that's the bit I felt worst about."

 

Norris has taken pole position in two of the last four races (in Spain and Hungary) after doing so just once in his previous 113 starts. 

Excluding Lewis Hamilton, who achieved the feat twice with the team in 2012, Norris could become the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back poles since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 this weekend.

Norris does feel coming through the incident could make McLaren stronger as a team, adding: "We discussed it, we have spoken about it. 

"It's not good that we had it, but it's a good thing we've had it at the same time, because we've learned from it and hopefully it's done better next time."

Esteban Ocon will partner Oliver Bearman for the 2025 Formula One season with US-based Haas, the team confirmed on Thursday. 

Ocon, who made his debut in 2016, becomes the first winner of a Grand Prix to drive for the American outfit since their formation eight years ago. 

The Frenchman's only victory came in Hungary back in 2021 for Alpine-Renault, their first win since the Australian Grand Prix in 2013. 

Ocon has 146 Formula One starts since his debut, amassing 425 points, which includes three podium finishes, the most recent of which came in Monaco last year.

The decision comes after Haas announced the departure of Kevin Magnussen a week ago, meaning the US-based team will have an all-new line-up for 2025. 

Magnussen's current team-mate Nico Hulkenberg is moving to the Sauber team as it morphs into Audi in time for the German company's official F1 entry in 2026.

“I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter in my Formula 1 career and join MoneyGram Haas F1 Team from the start of the 2025 season,” said Ocon.

“I’ll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory has really impressed me.

"I’d like to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their trust and support, and for our honest and fruitful discussions these last few months.

"On a more personal note, I’m very happy to be working with Ayao again, as he’s been a part of my debut when I first stepped into a Formula 1 car during my Lotus Junior days more than ten years ago.

"MoneyGram Haas F1 Team has exciting plans and clear targets for the future, and I’m very much looking forward to working with everyone in Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello, and being part of this great project.”

Ocon currently sits 18th in the driver's championship after enduring a difficult start to the season, but has managed three top 10 finishes in 2024. 

The 27-year-old's strongest season came in 2022, finishing eighth in the driver's championship, 11 points ahead of former team-mate and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. 

Ocon will be reunited with Haas principal Ayao Komatsu after being involved as race engineer for Lotus - which is now Alpine - during the Frenchman's debut year in the competition. 

Toto Wolff lauded praise on McLaren following their one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix, labelling them the "new benchmark" in Formula One. 

Oscar Piastri claimed his maiden triumph in the competition at the Hungaroring last weekend, with Lando Norris coming second after claiming pole in qualifying. 

McLaren have finished in the podium places in their last nine races, with their one-two in Budapest the first time they have done so since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. 

Despite Red Bull's continued dominance in both world championships, their recent performances has shown some vulnerability. For the first time since December 2021, the team has gone three races without a win.

And the British team have capitalised, now sitting 51 points behind them in the constructor's championship, with the possibility winning a first constructor's title since 1998.

Mercedes have also improved, with Lewis Hamilton winning the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time and claiming his 200th career podium in Budapest last week. 

"What we have to acknowledge is that McLaren are clearly now leading the field and by any conditions, it is a one and two," Wolff told Sky Sports. 

"That is the new benchmark. It's great that we have another team that has made that jump in being able to score first and second.

"It's good for all of us… I'm happy for them."

Mercedes currently sit fourth in the constructor's championship, 81 points behind Ferrari after a slow start to the 2024 season. 

But consecutive wins in the Austrian Grand Prix and Silverstone has shown a sign of their drastic improvements, with George Russell the prime example of that having gone out in the first qualifying session last week, but still able to finish in eighth. 

Russell's nine place improvement was his second biggest comeback in his Formula One career, only surpassed by the 12 positions he moved up at the Hungaroring in 2023. 

And Wolff believes that overcoming their current 81-point deficit to Ferrari and securing third place by the end of the season is a realistic goal for his team to achieve. 

"It's difficult to put targets out because it swings a lot with upgrade to upgrade," said Wolff. 

"But I think if you were to say what is a realistic-to-optimism today, it's probably P3 in the championship.

"Difficult to catch Red Bull and McLaren is now the benchmark, therefore I think that would be a good target. But it's not easy."

Audi have appointed former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto as the head of their Formula One project, parting company with Andreas Seidl.

Made chief executive officer 19 months ago, Seidl was tasked with overseeing Sauber's progress ahead of Audi taking over the team for 2026.

However, with Sauber the only team on the grid yet to earn a point this season, the German manufacturer has opted to conduct a major shake-up.

Olivier Hoffmann, chairman of the team's board of directors, has joined Seidl in departing.

Binotto, who left Ferrari at the end of the 2022 season after the Scuderia's title charge faded in disappointing fashion, will officially take on the role of chief operating and chief technical officer from August 1.

Gernot Dollner, who has taken over Hoffmann's former position, said of Binotto: "With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in F1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi.

"Our aim is to bring the entire F1 project up to F1 speed by means of clear management structures, defined responsibilities, reduced interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes.

"For this purpose, the team must be able to act independently and quickly."

Binotto had been part of Ferrari's team since 1995, contributing to eight constructors' championship triumphs before becoming team principal in 2019.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Gianpiero Lambiase's "childish" remark was not aimed at Max Verstappen during the pair's unhappy radio exchange at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Drivers' Championship leader Verstappen was forced to settle for fifth at the Hungaroring - his second-lowest finish of the season - Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris comprising a McLaren one-two.

The three-time world champion was involved in a collision with Lewis Hamilton on lap 63, after overshooting a corner on an attempted overtake.

It led Verstappen to vent his frustrations towards race engineer Lambiase, telling him over the team radio: "You gave me this s*** strategy. I'm trying to rescue what's left."

The Italian responded: "I am not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max. We'll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio, childish."

It was a surprising exchange given the close-knit relationship shared between the pair, who have worked together for eight years.

However, Horner said Lambiase's comments were instead aimed at the radio traffic from rival teams hoping the stewards would penalise them.

"I don't think GP's [Lambiase] reference at that point was in reference to Max," he told reporters. "Others [were] obviously goading for penalties because obviously the stewards are listening to the radio as well.

"Max was frustrated, which you can understand. He has a very direct line of communication with his engineer. It's something that they’ll discuss between the two of them.

"They've been together for eight years and, yes, there are things we could have done better in the race today that we'll talk about as a team.

"I think everybody sees we need to find more performance, and everybody is working hard to do that and we'll have whatever discussions behind closed doors."

Verstappen, who still holds a 76-point lead over Norris at the Drivers' Championship summit, will head to next weekend's Belgian Grand Prix having not won any of his last three races; last going four without success during the 2020 season.

However, the Dutchman has won each of the last three races in Belgium, and could become only the third driver after Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark to win four in a row.

Lewis Hamilton labelled his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as a "racing incident" after finishing third on Sunday. 

Hamilton and Verstappen made contact coming into turn one at the Hungaroring with seven laps of the race remaining. 

The Dutchman attempted to go on the inside of his former rival to secure the final podium place, but in doing so locked up his front tyres. 

Verstappen and Hamilton made contact, with the three-time world champion briefly sent into the air and off the track as he was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. 

The stewards swiftly placed the incident under investigation and conducted their analysis of it after the race, with the pair both escaping punishment for the collision. 

"For me it was a racing incident," Hamilton told Sky Sports. 

"Ultimately he was much quicker and he sent it. I moved a little to defend, but I left enough space on the inside and he locked up and obviously then couldn't turn.

"He came at a different trajectory and clipped my wheels. If he was under control he would have gone by."

“It’s nerve-wracking when you see the pace at which they close the gap on corners," Hamilton added of Red Bull's pace.

"You just laugh to yourself because it’s not something I can do, particularly on the last sector they were very very strong, same as the McLarens.

“I saw him coming from a long way back and he was able to brake a lot later than me, but he sent it up the inside, I stayed still and he clipped the wheel and went over, so I think it was a racing incident."

Hamilton's third-place finish saw him claim a 200th podium, the first driver in the history of the competition to reach that milestone. 

The seven-time world champion, who claimed 49 of those podium finishes with McLaren, was pleased to see his former team produce their first one-two since the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. 

“Big thanks to this amazing crowd and a huge congratulations to the McLarens with the one-two, that’s my old original family so it’s great to see," Hamilton said. 

“For us, the team have done a great job at pushing this car ultimately, we didn’t have the pace of the McLarens or of the Red Bulls but we were just able to hold on at the beginning of the race, it was very tough to hold on and make those tyres last."

Lando Norris said he will always put the team first after handing fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri his maiden Formula One victory at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris started on pole at the Hungaroring but dropped two places at the first corner as team-mate Piastri and world champion Max Verstappen surpassed him.

Verstappen later fell away and ultimately finished fifth, while Norris inched ahead of Piastri after making an earlier pitstop.

Norris – who claimed his first win at the Miami Grand Prix in May – was repeatedly asked to hand the lead back to Piastri but refused to do so until two laps before the finish.

It looked like Norris might refuse the order as engineer Will Joseph told him he would need Piastri's support to push for the world championship, but he told reporters after the race he would always prioritise the team. 

"It's tough. It would be tough for anyone when you're leading the race to give it up," Norris told Sky Sports. "I was obviously put in the position. 

"They made me box first and gave me the chance to lead the race and pull away quite comfortably and to do what I was doing.

"I think it was fair to give the position back. I don't want to come across as the guy who is not fair. Oscar has done a lot for me in the past and helped me in many races.

"He drove a better race than I did. He got a good start, a better start and mine sucked. He deserved it and it was the right thing to do."

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, was proud of the drivers' efforts, telling Sky Sports: "We are on this trajectory together. 

"None of us – the team, Lando or Oscar – can go alone. That's the message that we discussed on Sunday morning.

"With racing drivers you need to refresh this message. That's why we have this meeting every Sunday.

"We are extremely pleased by how our drivers are supporting the trajectory of McLaren which is incredible. For me, that's the news today."

Oscar Piastri labelled the McLaren car as a "beast" after claiming his first win in Formula One at the Hungarian Grand Prix.  

Piastri became the seventh different winner of a race this season and the first Australian to triumph at the Hungaroring since 2014 on Sunday. 

McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished second to secure a first one-two for the British team since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. 

The result also marked their 10th podium of the season, the first time they have managed to reach that total since the 2012 season (13). 

“It’s a beast at the moment, it’s fast in every condition, today we had it under control completely," Piastri said.  

"It was an amazing feeling to be able to manage the race like that with both cars and secure a one-two.

“I’m incredibly happy for the whole team and get my first win on the board.”

Piastri claimed his maiden triumph at the 34th attempt for McLaren, having previously finished on the podium twice this season in Austria and Monaco. 

The Australian's win moves him up to fifth in the driver's championship and is now just five points behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. 

“Very very special, this is the day I’ve dreamed of as a kid standing on the top step of an F1 podium," said Piastri.

"A bit complicated at the end but I put myself in the right position at the start and thank you for the team for an amazing car.

“It’s a hell of a lot of fun racing with McLaren so I can’t thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to be in F1, and to be winning with them 18 months in is an incredible feeling.”

But the win did not come without its controversy.

Piastri led Norris for most of the race, but an earlier final pit stop for Norris - made by McLaren to protect him against Lewis Hamilton, put him ahead of his team-mate. 

Norris was repeatedly asked to slow and let Piastri back past, and reminded of his responsibility to the team, but he refused to do so until just two laps from the end.

“The longer you leave it of course you get a bit nervous, but it was well executed by the team, it was the right thing, I put myself in the right position at the start," Piastri added.

“With the different strategy we had, yes my pace probably wasn’t as quick as I would have liked in the last stint but I was still in the right position to make it happen.”

Oscar Piastri claimed his first win in Formula One as Lewis Hamilton became the first driver in history to secure 200 podiums at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Piastri was handed his maiden triumph by McLaren team-mate Lando Norris with two laps remaining, with the Brit undercutting his partner in the second round of pitstops before being told to re-establish the order. 

Norris endured a difficult start at the Hungaroring, dropping two places after just one corner with Piastri and Max Verstappen passing him early on. 

But the Dutchman was forced to give the position back to Norris as he continued to squabble over the radio to the Red Bull garage. 

Hamilton was the first of the frontrunners to pit, performing a successful undercut on Verstappen. The three-time world champion then attempted to overtake Hamilton on lap 35 but went off track in the process. 

When Verstappen came close again to his rival, he attempted the overtake into turn one, but they collided, sending the Red Bull up into the air with seven laps remaining. 

After more than 20 laps of being told over team radio to give the lead back to Piastri, Norris finally obliged as McLaren secured a first one-two since 2021. 

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Verstappen made up the top five, with George Russell and Sergio Perez scoring impressive points having started towards the back of the grid.

Data Debrief: Piastri win a long time coming

Piastri's triumph saw him become the seventh different race winner this season, becoming the first Australian driver to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

McLaren secured their 10th podium of the season, the first time they have managed that many since 2012 (13). The last time McLaren finished one-two in a race was at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. On that day, Norris was again the runner-up, this time to his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Norris' second-placed finish earned him a 21st podium for McLaren, equalling Denny Hulme as the driver with the eighth-most podiums in the history of the British team. 

Hamilton, meanwhile, claimed a record 200th podium finish (49 with McLaren and 151 with Mercedes), becoming the first driver in F1 history to reach that milestone. 

Top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

8. George Russell (Mercedes)

9. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 265 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 162

Constructors

1. Red Bull – 389
2. McLaren – 338
3. Ferrari – 322

Max Verstappen believes Red Bull are currently playing catch-up to McLaren, who sealed a lock-out in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Lando Norris clinched his third career pole at the Hungaroring, beating team-mate Oscar Piastri by 0.022 seconds with Verstappen 0.046 back in third.

Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, meanwhile, crashed out in Q1 and will start the race 16th on the grid, casting further doubt on his future with the team.

Red Bull started the 2024 season with three one-twos in the first four races, while Verstappen came out on top on seven of his first 10 outings.

However, they have seen their sizeable advantage whittled down, with both McLaren and Mercedes pushing hard in recent races.

Speaking after Saturday's final qualifying session, Verstappen said: "I tried, the whole weekend we have been a little bit behind, and I think that was also the case in qualifying.

"I tried to make it as close as possible but unfortunately just not enough, a bit difficult to pinpoint why. I would have liked a bit more grip but it's not there at the moment."

Verstappen finished second at the British Grand Prix last time out, having been fifth in Austria one week earlier – the first time he has failed to win at two straight races all year.

"I love competition but I like being on top of the competition," the three-time world champion added. 

"At the moment, I feel like we are chasing and having a few more difficult weekends, I don't back out of a fight but it's just a tricky situation I guess.

"The last few races, especially the McLaren has been really good in the race, even compared to qualifying. 

"Today was a lot colder than expected I guess with the clouds and the rain, tomorrow is going to be quite a different day and I just hope that will help us."

George Russell was left to rue "a fundamental error" that led to a "disaster" in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.

The Mercedes driver will start Sunday's race towards the back of the grid in 17th place after suffering a shock exit in Q1 on a dramatic day of qualifying at Hungaroring.

Russell did so as a result of his team failing to provide him with enough fuel in the wet-dry conditions.

"There are two factors," he told Sky Sports. "The first was I didn't do a good enough job at the beginning. The second was we didn't have enough fuel to complete the session.

"It was a disaster from both aspects. We should have got through comfortably. Not having enough fuel is a fundamental error from the team."

There were better fortunes for Oscar Piastri, who finished in second place and just 0.022 seconds behind team-mate Lando Norris, ensuring McLaren's first lock-out in qualifying since the 2012 British Grand Prix.

 "It's cool to be here, especially when you get a result like this," he said. "Very happy, of course, but I missed out by two-hundredths, so you think of all the little things you could've done better.

"We had a bit of a tricky day on my side yesterday, but it's nice to bounce back this morning and obviously this afternoon in [qualifying].

"It wasn't easy - a lot of decisions on the fly - but to end up with both cars on the front row is an amazing result."

Lando Norris is expecting to secure a second-ever Formula One victory after claiming his third career pole at the Hungaroring on Saturday. 

Norris edged out team-mate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen as McLaren claimed their first lock-out in qualifying since the British Grand Prix in 2012. 

McLaren now have the opportunity to reach 10 or more podiums for the first time since 2012 (13), with Norris also presented the chance to equal Denny Hulme as the driver with the eighth most podiums in the history of the British team.

Norris beat Piastri to pole position by 0.022 seconds with Verstappen 0.046 back in a session that featured two red flags and changing weather conditions. 

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton will have to achieve a record 200th podium from fifth place, while Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc will start fourth and sixth respectively. 

“I am very very happy, not an easy qualifying, different conditions, always ending up on top, it’s the best part of it all," Norris said.

“I’m happy especially for the team, a one-two is even better to see so congrats to the team.

“We are in the best position for whatever the conditions throw at us, I’m looking forward to it. Two cars on the front row, we can control it from there so as long as we stay where we are, we will be happy.

“I’m expecting to [do well], if I don’t it’s not been a good day. The car is doing well, I feel like I’m driving well so it’s obvious what the aim is for tomorrow."

Aston Martin duo Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finished seventh and eighth respectively, with RB's Daniel Ricciardo finishing a place behind. 

Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10 but sustained a heavy crash in the final qualifying session.

Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez endured another difficult time out on track, crashing out in the first qualifying session and will start 16th on the grid. 

George Russell will also start towards the back of the grid after he and the Mercedes team were unable to recover from a poor opening wet-dry session. 

Top 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

7.  Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

8.  Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

9.  Daniel Ricciardo (RB) 

10. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

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