Verstappen boosted to fourth after Hamilton and Antonelli penalties

The final starting grid was heavily shaken up after qualifying. Lewis Hamilton initially seemed to have set the second-fastest time for Ferrari, but received a three-place penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during the closing stages of Q3. As a result, the seven-time world champion dropped to fifth place.

Hamilton also apologized for his behavior after qualifying. “Yesterday was tough, forgive me for my attitude, because I had just had such a strong session and then at the very last moment I got a call. Then I got a penalty. That was hard to accept, but after that you just have to look ahead. I will absolutely give everything I can for the team today.”

Kimi Antonelli also received a grid penalty. The Mercedes driver, who qualified fourth, was dropped three places for not slowing sufficiently under yellow flags. This means Antonelli will start from seventh, behind George Russell and Verstappen.

For Verstappen, fourth on the grid is a small boost after a difficult qualifying. The Red Bull driver had a tough weekend at the Hungaroring and complained about the lack of performance from his car. In Q3, Verstappen also lost time with a spin, after which he ultimately set the sixth-fastest time, trailing the frontrunners. However, due to the penalties for Hamilton and Antonelli, he moved up two spots.

Sergio Perez will have to start the Hungarian Grand Prix from the pit lane in his Cadillac. The Mexican, who also drove for Red Bull Racing in previous years, has had some modifications made to his car, which means he is not allowed to start on the grid.