Following the conclusion of the 2023 British Grand Prix, Lando Norris made a prediction that could now become a reality at the Hungaroring. He wanted both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to stand on the podium with him once again after their Silverstone heroics. After the qualifying session in Hungary, this prediction is very well in the cards.
In an astonishing turn of events, the Mercedes star beat Verstappen by three thousandths of a second to claim his first pole position since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP. As the Briton crossed the line, the entire crowd erupted, mainly because they were pleased to see someone other than Verstappen get the pole position.
There was no holding back on those emotions for @LewisHamilton 💜
His first pole position since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix #HungarianGP #F1 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/eXOTqXksYn
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 22, 2023
With this, Hamilton now has 104 poles, and extends his legacy as the ‘King of Pole Positions’. But the most interesting part was Norris’ prediction going in the right direction. The front three for Sunday’s race will be Verstappen, Hamilton, and Norris.
What prediction did Lando Norris make at Silverstone?
Lando Norris finished P2 in Silverstone ahead of Lewis Hamilton in P3. After the race, he went to his official Twitter handle to share a picture involving himself ,and the Mercedes and Red Bull driver, respectively.
The picture showed Norris sitting with Verstappen and Hamilton in the cooldown room. While responding to memes about it being a ‘podcast session’ with Verstappen as the host, Norris stated that he hopes for a repeat in Hungary. This was in reference to Verstappen being the only constant figure to enter the cooldown room in every single race.
another one in budapest? @Max33Verstappen @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/TlKlZvyscq
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) July 10, 2023
The 23-year-old uploaded the post with, “Another one in Budapest?” And tagged Hamilton and Verstappen. The race is on Sunday, and Norris’ prediction can still turn out to be false, but as things stand, they are heading in the right direction.
How did the Hungaroring GP play out?
While the experts at F1 TV predicted that it might either be Verstappen or Norris on the pole, Hamilton came out of nowhere to grab his and Mercedes’ first pole of the year. Even when Verstappen crossed the line to take provisional pole, most people expected Norris to outjump in. However, in the end, it turned out to be Hamilton.
However, Norris lost time in the middle sector which dropped him to P3. Hamilton meanwhile executed a perfect lap that was enough to outqualify his former title rival.
Is it time for the Lewis Hamilton podcast next? 😉🎧#HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/87lGJV3QCz
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 22, 2023
As for Verstappen, he was unhappy about the setup of his RB-19. He said in the post-qualification press conference that he struggled throughout the weekend in Hungary. Hamilton will be hoping to get the better of the Dutchman in the start of tomorrow’s race, and win his first race in F1 since 2021.
Given how fast the RB19 is, in addition to its recent upgrades, Hamilton will need to churn out every bit to keep the two-time world champion at bay. Despite this, if the top three drivers at the Hungaroring qualification finish on the podium, Norris’ previous tweet from Silverstone could very well break the internet.
