Lando Norris secured his first Formula 1 pole position of the year at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the McLaren driver remains cautious about converting it into his first victory as world champion.

Despite starting from the front of the grid, Norris knows qualifying success does not guarantee a race win. He pointed to past experiences, including the Miami Grand Prix, where a strategic error allowed Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli to take victory despite Norris leading during the early stages.

“You can’t just rely on one good qualifying, so I need a good race tomorrow,” Norris said.

The McLaren driver believes the team has made progress after being on the back foot earlier in the season, but he emphasized the importance of repeating strong performances after the summer break.

McLaren’s recent upgrades have improved the car’s competitiveness, although much of the attention at the Hungarian Grand Prix had focused on Aston Martin’s major upgrade package.

Aston Martin’s improvements helped Fernando Alonso progress beyond the first qualifying session for the first time this season, giving the struggling team a much-needed boost.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised the upgrades but described Norris’ pole position as an “overachievement.” He said the result came from a combination of improved car performance, strong execution from McLaren, and weaker-than-expected qualifying performances from rivals including Ferrari and Mercedes.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult qualifying session as his hopes of challenging at the front faded, adding further pressure on the seven-time world champion and his team.