Breaking news: The Hungarian Grand Prix sees a fresh milestone being reached
In the world of Formula 1, the Hungarian Grand Prix has become synonymous with nail-biting competition. This year, the 2025 edition set a new record for the closest qualifying session in the history of the sport.
The top ten drivers were separated by less than a second, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari securing pole position with a time of 1 minute 15.372 seconds. Isaac Hadjar from AlphaTauri rounded out the top ten with a time of 1:15.915, just a fraction of a second behind the leaders.
This incredible closeness in qualifying times was a stark contrast to the previous record, set in 2023, where Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix with a time of 1:16.609, a gap of 0.577 seconds from the second-place qualifier.
The 2025 qualifying session saw an even tighter competition, with the top four drivers - Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and George Russell - qualifying within just 0.053 seconds of each other. This is officially recognized as the closest top-four qualifying gap since the 1961 British Grand Prix, where the top four drivers all recorded the same time to one decimal place.
In 1961, the British Grand Prix also saw a record-breaking qualifying session. Phil Hill, Richie Ginther, Jo Bonnier, and Wolfgang von Trips all qualified with identical times due to less precise timing technology. Given modern timing is 200 times more accurate, the 2025 Hungarian GP top four separation may well be even closer in real terms than that historic event.
Moreover, the 2025 Hungarian GP set a record for the smallest gap between pole position and tenth place in Q3, at just 0.543 seconds. This highlights the exceptional closeness throughout the field in qualifying that weekend.
While the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix also saw a tight competition, with the top ten qualifying times separated by less than a second, it did not quite match the record-breaking pace of the 2025 event. Isaac Hadjar qualified in tenth position for the 2024 race, with a time of 1:15.915. Lewis Hamilton won the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix with a time of 1:16.609.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have been actively involved in the sporting landscape. In late February 2022, the IOC urged international sports federations not to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes to any competitions. However, the FIA did not fully ban Russian athletes from competitions under its jurisdiction, and they continue to compete in tournaments under a neutral flag.
In conclusion, the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session has set a new benchmark in Formula 1 history for the closest qualifying gap. The exceptional closeness of the competition is a testament to the skill and dedication of the drivers and teams involved.
Sports enthusiasts might be intrigued to know that auto-racing also exhibited an astounding level of closeness in qualifying times during the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, with the top four drivers sharing a gap of mere 0.053 seconds. This record-breaking competition can be compared to the 1961 British Grand Prix, where four drivers achieves identical times due to less precise timing methods.
