Lando Norris was jubilant on Saturday after securing pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, but when the cars emerged from Turn One, the McLaren ace had been relegated to third in the order.

This cost Norris dearly and allowed team-mate Oscar Piastri to stamp his authority on the race, and while Max Verstappen eventually handed back second place - earned illegally with an off-track overtake - the damage was already done. For the Brit, this was a familiar feeling.

To date, Norris has three pole positions and two sprint race poles. In all five instances, the McLaren driver has failed to retain the lead at the end of the opening lap. This conversion rate is a major problem for the 24-year-old, and this is exacerbated by the fact that his championship rival is ruthless when it comes to converting his poles.

Verstappen kicked off the season with seven consecutive pole positions, and he converted these into five victories, a second place and a mechanical DNF at the Australian Grand Prix. That iron-clad consistency means that his current struggles are a frustration, rather than a potentially championship-ending disaster.

This was something that Norris admitted himself after the race at the Hungaroring. “I didn't deserve to win the race," he confessed. "Simple as that. The fact I was in that position was incorrect.

"If Oscar's led the whole race, it's not fair, and I don't think that's how it should work, that he should just let me pass for me to win because I'm fighting for a championship. I didn't give up the race win. I lost it off the line."

Norris will know that he has to improve his racecraft when leading the field away from pole position if he is to launch a serious fight for the Drivers’ Championship title. However, the only way to get the practice is to consistently put his car on the front row. Fortunately for the Brit, McLaren’s pace on Sunday suggests that there will be plenty more opportunities.

"I know a lot of people are going to say the gap between me and Max is pretty big but if Red Bull and Max make the mistakes they did today and we continue to improve and have weekends like this, we can turn it around,” Norris said.

"It is still optimistic and a big goal to say I can close 70 points in half a season, and seven points I give away... it crosses your mind. So it was not easy. But I also understood the situation I was in and I was quite confident that by the last lap, I would have done it."