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Lando Norris aims to end his wait for an F1 win as he starts on pole in Hungary

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Lando Norris aims to end his wait for an F1 win as he starts on pole in Hungary
Sport

Sport

Lando Norris aims to end his wait for an F1 win as he starts on pole in Hungary

2026-07-26 16:28 Last Updated At:16:30

MOGYOROD, Hungary (AP) — Lando Norris is seeking his first Grand Prix win as Formula 1 champion as he starts on pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The McLaren driver beat Lewis Hamilton by 0.012 of a second in qualifying to end Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell's record of sharing all pole positions for Grand Prix races between them this season.

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McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia concentrates during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia concentrates during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain walks after winning the qualifying session ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain walks after winning the qualifying session ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Norris' last win in a full race was in Brazil in November, before he was crowned champion, though he did win a sprint in Miami in May.

There was a late twist to Saturday's qualifying session as Hamilton and Antonelli were each given three-place grid penalties.

Hamilton was punished for impeding McLaren's Oscar Piastri, a big hit to Hamilton's chances of a record ninth win in Hungary, and Antonelli got his sanction for failing to slow enough for a yellow flag.

That means Charles Leclerc starts second for Ferrari alongside Norris, with Piastri elevated two places to third and Max Verstappen in fourth.

The top three title contenders start together, with Hamilton fifth, Russell sixth and Antonelli seventh.

Hungary is the last race before the mid-season break. The next race is the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia concentrates during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia concentrates during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the third free practice ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain walks after winning the qualifying session ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain walks after winning the qualifying session ahead of Sunday's Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix auto race, at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, near Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — World War II’s D-Day landing beaches in northern France and the iconic Mount Olympus in Greece were among the sites added to the World Heritage List on Sunday at a U.N. committee meeting in South Korea reviewing dozens of nominations.

The UNESCO committee, which meets in Busan through Wednesday, also inscribed the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara and South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape, host to one of the world’s largest land mammal migrations and the country’s first addition to the World Heritage List.

The French designation covers the five Normandy landing beaches — Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno — where more than 150,000 Allied troops came ashore on June 6, 1944, along with the Pointe du Hoc assault site, all central to the campaign to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II.

International Council on Monuments and Sites, which evaluates submissions to the heritage committee, said the sites contain extensive remnants, from German fortifications and bomb-scarred landscapes to Allied harbor structures and sunken vessels, marking an “event widely perceived as having enabled the return of freedom and heralded a lasting peace on the European continent.”

ICOMOS also called for stronger monitoring and preservation efforts on the sites, citing potential threats posed by tourism, climate change and rising sea levels, and the development of wind farms near the areas.

“It’s probably the greatest amphibious landing there’s ever been. It ought to be remembered for that alone,” historian David Edgerton said about the Normandy landings in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

The World Heritage inscription of Mount Olympus, the mythical home of the 12 Olympian gods, rewarded a 12-year effort by Greece to secure recognition for its tallest mountain as a mixed cultural and natural heritage site. Rising 2,918 meters (9,573 feet) from a base near sea level, the mountain was believed to be the throne of Zeus, king of the gods, while also harboring rich biodiversity.

Evangelos Geroliolios, mayor of Dion-Olympus, a municipality at the foot of the mountain, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that inclusion on the World Heritage List “places greater obligations on our part to protect this environment,” citing the potential impact of increased tourism.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding Mount Olympus for the benefit of present and future generations,” said Georgios Koumoutsakos, Greece’s delegate to UNESCO. “As Greek mythology wisely reminds us, it is always best to remain on good terms with gods.”

The designated Japanese locations in the western prefecture of Nara cover 19 archaeological sites from the 6th- to 8th-century capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, where Japan established its first centralized state modeled after Chinese systems. The sites preserve the largely buried remains of royal palaces, government offices, Buddhist temples and tombs from capitals that influenced the later capitals of Nara and Kyoto.

Japanese Culture Minister Kobayashi Shigeki thanked the committee for inscribing the Asuka-Fujiwara sites and said Japan reaffirms its commitment to “transmitting this valuable property to the future generations.” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a Nara native, wrote on X that she hopes the World Heritage designation will boost tourism to the site.

Yoshiyuki Aihara, a Nara University archaeology professor, told AP the sites are significant because they show how Japan’s ancient state was formed through influences from China and the Korean Peninsula.

“If you dig underneath these rice paddies about 1 meter, you start finding a stretch of ruins in this area, though that’s not easy for ordinary visitors to understand,” said Aihara, who is continuing excavation work at the site.

South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo site encompasses vast wetlands, flood plains and savannas shaped by seasonal rainfall and flood dynamics, with an estimated 6 million white-eared kob, tiang and Mongalla gazelles moving across the landscape in response to changing environmental conditions.

It also provides habitat for elephants, lions, cheetahs and other wildlife while supporting various ethnic communities that have lived by herding, farming and fishing for centuries, according to UNESCO.

—— AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed from Tokyo.

This shows Asuka Palace Ruins in Asuka village, Nara prefecture, western Japan, on April 20, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

This shows Asuka Palace Ruins in Asuka village, Nara prefecture, western Japan, on April 20, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

This shows Fujiwara Palace Ruins, foreground, with Mr. Miminashi, background, in Kashihara, Nara prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 9, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)

This shows Fujiwara Palace Ruins, foreground, with Mr. Miminashi, background, in Kashihara, Nara prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 9, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)

The morning light shines on Mytikas, Greece's highest peak, center left, and Stefani, known as the Throne of Zeus, center right, atop Mount Olympus seen from the outskirts of Litochoro in northern Greece, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The morning light shines on Mytikas, Greece's highest peak, center left, and Stefani, known as the Throne of Zeus, center right, atop Mount Olympus seen from the outskirts of Litochoro in northern Greece, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

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