Hungary Shock: Leclerc Outraces McLaren's Title-Holder
Max Verstappen's Struggles Continue as Leclerc Surprises with Pole at Hungaroring
In a surprising turn of events, Charles Leclerc secured a pole position at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, edging out the dominant McLaren drivers in the qualifying session. Leclerc's lap of 1:15.372 was enough to beat both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, marking Ferrari's first pole of the season and the first at the Hungaroring since 2017.
McLaren had shown greater pace throughout the practice sessions, with Piastri and Norris appearing faster and more consistent. However, in qualifying—especially in Q3—the margin between top cars was extremely close, producing the closest top-10 qualifying gap in F1 history with only 0.543 seconds separating the fastest from the tenth fastest driver. Leclerc’s perfect execution on his pole lap and perhaps maximizing the track and car setup at the crucial moment allowed him to overcome the practice pace disadvantage.
Leclerc himself was surprised by his pole position, highlighting that it was somewhat unexpected even from his perspective. His qualifying performance ended a personal streak of not starting on the front row at Hungary and marked a return to form in qualifying.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen ended the qualifying session in 8th place, a difficult position on the narrow Hungaroring. Verstappen has not made it onto the podium in the last three Grand Prix, a negative streak he hasn't experienced in six years. A clause tied to Verstappen's summer world championship position can no longer be activated, and he has confirmed that he will stay with his current team.
In the title race, Piastri and Norris are in a duel for the Formula 1 season. Hamilton, the record winner in Hungary, continues to struggle in the Ferrari, failing to advance past Q2 and starting 12th. Hamilton grumbled about his performance after the qualifying session, stating that the team is good, but the car might need a driver change. Nico Hülkenberg failed to advance past the first round of qualifying and will start the race in 19th position.
Elsewhere in the news, work on noise protection barriers in Hamm will begin in August, and new sculptures have been installed on the Halde Sachsen in Hamm. The Hamm Police is also expanding video surveillance around the station.
[1] BBC Sport. (2025). Hungarian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc takes surprise pole position. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/61684723
[2] Sky Sports. (2025). Hungarian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc takes surprise pole position. [online] Available at: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/13162/12306139/hungarian-grand-prix-charles-leclerc-takes-surprise-pole-position
[3] Autosport. (2025). Leclerc takes surprise pole at Hungaroring. [online] Available at: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/leclerc-takes-surprise-pole-at-hungaroring/6328936
[4] Motorsport.com. (2025). Leclerc takes surprise pole at Hungaroring. [online] Available at: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/leclerc-takes-surprise-pole-at-hungaroring/913544/
[5] Formula1.com. (2025). Charles Leclerc takes surprise pole position in Hungary. [online] Available at: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.charles-leclerc-takes-surprise-pole-position-in-hungary.6488878.html
[1] The unexpected pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix points towards an interesting sports-analysis opportunity, considering Max Verstappen's struggles and Charles Leclerc's return to form.
[2] With Leclerc's surprising pole position, sports analysts may delve into the factors that allowed him to outperform his practice pace in sports-analysis, such as optimal setup execution and track knowledge.
