Formula driver Fernando Alonso anticipates securing a fifth position on the Hungarian grid, as Leclerc clinches pole position.
Alonso Qualifies Fifth for Hungarian Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso secured a fifth-place grid position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, just over a tenth of a second behind pole-sitter Charles Leclerc. Alonso's teammate, Lance Stroll, followed closely in sixth place.
The qualifying session was a competitive affair, with Leclerc securing the pole position for Ferrari. George Russell of Mercedes will start on the second row next to Leclerc, while Oscar Piastri of McLaren posted the second-best time. Lando Norris of McLaren rounded out the top three in qualifying.
Conditions in Q3 were challenging, with a drop in temperature and wind affecting all single-seaters. Despite these adverse conditions, Leclerc improved his time to 1:15.372, while Piastri posted a time of 1:15.398, a slower time compared to previous sessions.
Lewis Hamilton's performance in Q2 was particularly disappointing, failing to qualify for the final session. His teammate, George Russell, managed to advance to Q3 but finished the session in seventh place. Max Verstappen of Red Bull also struggled, posting the eighth-best time in qualifying.
Carlos Sainz of Williams had hopes in the first timed session, reaching eighth place, but finished thirteenth in Q2 with a time of 1:15.781. This put him one spot behind Hamilton in 11th position for Sunday's race.
Fernando Alonso saved two sets of new tires for the final session, despite his back problems. He raced smartly, particularly managing his battle with George Russell by strategically letting Russell pass on the main straight to minimize time loss during pit stops.
Alonso's race engineer for the weekend is Andrew Vizard. The Aston Martin team benefited from cooler conditions and car upgrades that significantly improved their performance compared to earlier in the season. Alonso repeated his fifth place from the free practice sessions in Saturday's qualifying.
Charles Leclerc beat both McLarens in qualifying, with Piastri ahead of his teammate Norris. The qualifying results set up an exciting race for Sunday, with Leclerc starting from pole, Russell on the second row, and Alonso on the third row.
In European football leagues, an average match strives to present the same level of thrilling competition as Charles Leclerc's qualifying performance for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso's fifth-place grid position is parallel to a reliable mid-field player's consistent performance in a football match.
