Ferrari's Leclerc Secures Victory in Hungarian Formula One Race
The qualifying session for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix saw a surprising shakeup, with Charles Leclerc securing pole position for Ferrari, outpacing McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris who finished second and third respectively.
Charles Leclerc's impressive lap time of 1m 15.372s caught many by surprise, as the McLaren drivers were favourites going into the session. The top five qualifiers were Leclerc, Piastri, Norris, George Russell, and Fernando Alonso.
Unfortunately for some established stars, the qualifying session saw Lewis Hamilton and teammate Kimi Antonelli get eliminated in Q2. Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 champion, also had a disappointing performance, finishing eighth, behind Gabriel Bortoleto who took seventh for Kick Sauber. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll qualified sixth, rounding out a strong showing for the team.
Nico Hülkenberg, the Sauber driver, qualified in a difficult 19th position, which may make scoring points difficult for him in the race. Contrastingly, Lando Norris, another McLaren driver, finished third in qualifying, while Oscar Piastri finished second.
The championship standings reveal that the Formula 1 race in Hungary could be a crucial race for Oscar Piastri as he leads the standings, with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen close behind. Piastri currently has an 81-point lead over Verstappen, and a 16-point lead over Norris.
The 14th Formula 1 race in Hungary will take place on Sunday at 15:00 CEST and will be broadcast on Sky. The race will feature Charles Leclerc on pole position, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris starting in second and third positions, respectively. Max Verstappen will start from eighth position on the grid.
The championship standings suggest that the Formula 1 race in Hungary could be a significant event for the battle between Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen. Oscar Piastri leads the championship standings going into the race, with Lando Norris in second place, behind him.
References: [1] BBC Sport. (2025). Hungarian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc takes pole position. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/58945955
[2] Motorsport.com. (2025). Hungarian GP Qualifying: Leclerc takes pole as Verstappen struggles. [online] Available at: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/hungarian-gp-qualifying-leclerc-takes-pole-as-verstappen-struggles/9446577/
[3] Sky Sports. (2025). Hungarian Grand Prix: Qualifying results. [online] Available at: https://www.skysports.com/f1/hungarian-grand-prix/qualifying-results
Despite the favouritism towards the McLaren drivers, it was Charles Leclerc who outperformed them during the qualifying session, securing pole position for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix. Surprisingly, McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had to settle for second and third positions respectively.
