The starting lineup for the 2026 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix has been revised after Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli were each handed three-place grid penalties following qualifying at the Hungaroring.
Hamilton had originally qualified second, missing pole position by just 0.012 seconds to McLaren’s Lando Norris. However, FIA stewards ruled that the Ferrari driver unnecessarily impeded Oscar Piastri during the final moments of Q3, resulting in a three-place grid drop that pushes him back to fifth for Sunday’s race.
The penalty reshuffles the front of the grid, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc promoted to second alongside Norris on the front row. Piastri also gains a place to start third, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen moves up to fourth. Hamilton will line up fifth as he aims to recover during the 70-lap contest.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli also received a three-place penalty after stewards determined he failed to reduce speed sufficiently under yellow flag conditions during qualifying. The sanction drops the Italian from fourth to seventh on the grid.
Antonelli’s penalty allows George Russell to move up to sixth after overcoming a difficult qualifying session that was disrupted by a water leak in Q3. Russell now starts ahead of his Mercedes teammate.
Further back, Isack Hadjar starts eighth for Red Bull, with Racing Bulls youngster Arvid Lindblad promoted to ninth. Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg rounds out the top 10 after another competitive qualifying display.
Liam Lawson leads the next group in 11th, followed by Alpine teammates Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto in 12th and 13th. Gabriel Bortoleto lines up 14th for Audi, while Haas driver Esteban Ocon starts 15th.
Fernando Alonso will begin from 16th for Aston Martin, with Haas rookie Oliver Bearman in 17th. Williams pair Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon occupy 18th and 19th respectively, while Lance Stroll starts 20th in the second Aston Martin.
Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas lines up 21st, with Sergio Perez completing the 22-car field.
Norris enters the Hungarian Grand Prix on pole for the first time since the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix and will be looking to convert his qualifying pace into victory. Leclerc joins him on the front row, while Piastri and Verstappen sit directly behind, setting up an exciting fight into Turn 1.
Hamilton now faces the challenge of fighting back from fifth after losing three places due to his penalty, while Antonelli will also be aiming to make progress after dropping to seventh despite his strong qualifying performance.
Adjusted Starting Grid – 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – Three-place grid penalty
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – Three-place grid penalty
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Oliver Bearman (Haas)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
- Sergio Perez
The starting order remains provisional until it receives final confirmation from the FIA ahead of the race.
