Ferrari's Charles Leclerc outperforms McLaren drivers to secure the top starting spot in Hungary's grand prix qualifying round.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were expected to challenge for pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but it was Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who stole the show. Leclerc delivered a stunning final lap in Q3 to secure his and Ferrari's first pole of the season, with Piastri and Norris settling for second and third respectively[1].
The qualifying session was incredibly close, with the top-10 Q3 gap being the smallest in F1 history at 0.543 seconds. Changing track conditions, including increasing wind and dropping temperatures, seemed to benefit Leclerc's final lap, affecting McLaren's performance[1][3].
Lewis Hamilton, the drivers' championship leader, struggled in qualifying, failing to advance past Q2 and securing a disappointing 12th position. This continues Hamilton's tough qualifying form this season, with him often finding himself behind rivals and even Racing Bull and Haas drivers[2].
In Formula Two, Alex Dunne earned a strong fifth place on the grid for Sunday's feature race. Dunne also had a successful sprint race, finishing second, earning eight points in the drivers' championship and moving closer to the leaders[5]. Alex Dunne is now level with Jak Crawford on 122 points in the Formula Two drivers' championship. He is just five points behind championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli and a single point behind second-place Richard Verschoor[6].
McLaren had dominated the weekend at the Hungaroring, with Norris being fastest in both Friday sessions[7]. However, they seemed to struggle in the qualifying session, with Piastri being quickest in the concluding running prior to qualifying but ultimately not being able to secure pole[1][4].
Reigning champion Max Verstappen qualified eighth for the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso qualified fifth[1]. Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10 qualifiers[4]. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes in qualifying[4].
In summary, Charles Leclerc's unexpected pole was a highlight in an otherwise challenging weekend for Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton's poor qualifying underlined ongoing difficulties[1][2][3]. In Formula Two, Alex Dunne had a successful day, earning a strong fifth place on the grid for Sunday's feature race and finishing second in the sprint race[5][6].
Sports enthusiasts were thrilled by the nail-biting qualifying session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the top-10 Q3 gap was the smallest in F1 history at 0.543 seconds. Motorsport expert Alex Dunne, on the other hand, excelled in the Formula Two qualifying, earning a strong fifth place for Sunday's feature race and finishing second in the sprint race.
