With a lap of 1:17.207, the Briton edged out Lewis Hamilton, who qualified second. Charles Leclerc took third place on the grid with a time of 1:17.445.

All teams, with the exception of Ferrari, used only Soft tyres. The Maranello-based squad opted for the Medium compound during the opening phase of qualifying. Hamilton completed three laps on the C4, while Leclerc covered eight laps on the yellow-banded tyre before both switched to the C5.

Using four sets of Soft tyres, Norris managed to beat his rivals with his final flying lap. The McLaren driver had also been quickest in the third free practice session, where, as in qualifying, the C5 was the most widely used compound.

Only Liam Lawson and the Aston Martin and Audi drivers used a set of Medium tyres in FP3. Nico Hülkenberg and Lawson completed the highest number of laps on the yellow-banded compound, with 15 laps each.

Norris’s best time in FP3 was a 1:17.939. Hamilton finished in 1:18.056, ahead of Kimi Antonelli, who was third on 1:18.068. The highest temperatures of the day were recorded during this session, with track temperatures peaking at 53°C and air temperatures at 29°C. Forecasts for tomorrow indicate a further, albeit slight, increase.

The Pirelli Pole Position Award was presented to Norris by Michelle Gulyás. The Hungarian athlete won the gold medal in the modern pentathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, setting a new world record in the discipline.

DARIO MARRAFUSCHI – PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR

“Our simulations show no difference in overall race time between a one-stop and a two-stop strategy for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Degradation, which has been higher than expected, has effectively brought the two strategic options into line, allowing teams to evaluate different scenarios depending on the new sets they have preserved up to this point.

In both FP3 and qualifying, as was already the case during yesterday’s first two sessions, some teams followed a different approach from the rest by using an additional set of Medium tyres. The yellow-banded tyre is still likely to be the preferred compound for the start. Those opting for a one-stop strategy could then complete the race on the Hard compound, with the pit stop window falling between laps 26 and 32.

In the case of a two-stop strategy, however, given that only two teams still have two new sets of C4s available, it is more likely that the final stints will be run on the Hard compound, with pit stop windows between laps 16 and 22 for the first stop and laps 40 and 46 for the second. As highlighted yesterday, traffic and the difficulty of overtaking remain key factors and could encourage several teams to favour a one-stop approach.

The use of the Soft tyre cannot be ruled out either, as it has demonstrated good levels of grip and sufficient durability. Around ten seconds slower than the two main strategies are the Soft-Hard-Medium and Medium-Hard-Soft combinations. Drivers able to build a gap over their rivals may be able to make an additional stop without the risk of losing position, while others could use the undercut to their advantage. The situation therefore remains open and it would not be surprising to see different strategies even between drivers from the same team.”