Lewis Hamilton Backed to Win 2026 Hungarian F1 GP From P5

Lewis Hamilton has emerged as the fans’ leading choice to win the 2026 Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix despite a three-place penalty forcing him to start from fifth.

The Ferrari driver originally qualified second after finishing only 0.012 seconds behind polesitter Lando Norris. Hamilton was subsequently judged to have impeded Oscar Piastri at the end of Q3 and lost his front-row starting position.

Hamilton received the highest support in a RacingNews365 poll, collecting 34% of the vote. The result reflects confidence that Ferrari’s pace and Hamilton’s record at the Hungaroring could still bring him back into victory contention.

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Lando Norris, who starts from pole position, ranked second with 25%. Norris holds the advantage of track position at a circuit where overtaking is difficult, although pressure from the cars behind is expected to remain significant.

George Russell placed third in the poll with 17% despite starting sixth. He received more support than both Charles Leclerc and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Leclerc collected 16.6% of the vote, while Antonelli received 15.1%. Max Verstappen attracted only 7.9% after Red Bull struggled to find consistent performance throughout the Hungarian weekend.

Oscar Piastri and Isack Hadjar received the lowest levels of support. Piastri collected 2.4%, while Hadjar was backed by only 0.5% of voters.

Hamilton still faces a major challenge because he must pass several cars at a circuit with limited overtaking opportunities. His start, pit-stop strategy and tyre management will determine whether the fans’ prediction can be converted into victory at the 2026 Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix.