Will Leclerc Maintain Pole Position? Key Points to Monitor at the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix
Ferrari's Leclerc Takes Pole Position at Hungarian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured a surprise pole position at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, outpacing the McLaren drivers in tricky qualifying conditions. Leclerc's impressive performance sets the stage for an exciting race on Sunday.
Leclerc, who had initially expressed doubts about his chances at the Hungaroring due to past struggles with the track, showed promising pace in practice, consistently placing third behind McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. However, the conditions became challenging in qualifying, with drops in temperature and a change in wind direction. McLaren had been fast earlier in the session, but Leclerc capitalised on this by delivering a clean, brilliant final lap time of 1:15.372, securing his first pole position of 2025 and his 27th overall.
The Ferrari driver described the qualifying session as "extremely difficult," especially Q1 and Q2, and noted that the changing conditions made the challenge even greater. He aimed initially only for a top-three spot, making the pole position a shock even to himself.
Oscar Piastri will start the race on the front row, in his first real title fight at the top tier of motorsport. McLaren's Lando Norris will start the race in third position, with the Hungaroring's tight layout potentially favouring his performance in slow-speed corners. George Russell of Mercedes will start in fourth, while Lance Stroll of Aston Martin will start in sixth.
Aston Martin made a remarkable turnaround from the back row at Spa to line up P5 and P6 for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll respectively. Lewis Hamilton, who struggled in qualifying, will start the race in twelfth position, driving for Ferrari.
The Hungarian Grand Prix could be a crucial race in setting the tone for the rest of the season, with six drivers within one tenth in Q3 and unpredictable weather conditions expected. The race promises to be an exciting one, with Leclerc aiming to capitalise on his pole position and the other drivers battling it out for positions.
Race Grid: 1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 3. Lando Norris (McLaren) 4. George Russell (Mercedes) 5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 7. Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) 8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) 11. Oliver Bearman (Haas) 12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 15. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 16. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull Racing) 17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 18. Esteban Ocon (Haas) 19. Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) 20. Alexander Albon (Williams)
[1] BBC Sport. (2025). Hungarian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc takes surprise pole position for Ferrari. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/61169647
[2] Motorsport.com. (2025). Leclerc takes Hungarian GP pole after McLaren slip-up. [online] Available at: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/leclerc-takes-hungarian-gp-pole-after-mclaren-slip-up/10764815/
[4] Sky Sports. (2025). Hungarian GP: Charles Leclerc takes pole position for Ferrari. [online] Available at: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12686/12455842/hungarian-gp-charles-leclerc-takes-pole-position-for-ferrari
Leclerc's pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix further emphasizes Formula 1 as a sport that offers nail-biting competition and unexpected outcomes, with Charles, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton now racing in the top three spots on the grid.
Alonso, driving for Aston Martin, and Hamilton, now with Ferrari, will benefit from starting in the higher-numbered slots on Sunday, as weather conditions could play a vital role in strategy decisions during the race.
