Leclerc takes extraordinary pole position at the Hungarian GP, followed by the two McLarens

Charles Leclerc took a sensational pole position. The Ferrari driver clocked a sensational 1:15.372 and secured first place on the starting grid for the Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix. Behind him were the McLarens of Oscar Piastri, 0.026 ahead, and Lando Norris, 0.41 ahead.

Mercedes' George Russell finished fourth, while Max Verstappen (Red Bull) had to settle for eighth. Aston Martin responded well, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, after a difficult season with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Rounding out the top ten were Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) in seventh, Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) in ninth, and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) in tenth. Fellow Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton will start from twelfth.

QUOTES: “I don't understand anything about Formula 1 today. All qualifying was extremely difficult, and I'm not exaggerating. In Q3, the conditions changed a bit. I knew I had to do a clean lap to aim for third place, and I found myself in pole position. I wasn't expecting it. I had a fairly low downforce, and when it started raining, I hoped it would stop, which it did. It's one of my best pole positions, certainly the most unexpected. The start and Turn 1 will be the key moments tomorrow. I'll do everything I can to maintain first place,” said Leclerc after pole position.

"The wind changed the conditions a lot; the feel of all the corners was completely different. It's difficult to make any assessments in these conditions, but second place is a good starting position. Leclerc was fast all weekend; he did a great job. I didn't expect to be second behind Ferrari, but tomorrow will be an entertaining race," added Piastri, who will start from the front row.

“Given our current form, it's disappointing not to finish on the front row, but Leclerc did a great job. These conditions hurt us a bit compared to the others. He did a good lap at the end, we were slower. There's little to complain about. In Q2, we showed how fast we could go, but then the wind changed and the final sector became more complicated. I want to win; I think it will be an exciting race. I expect to have a bit more pace than Ferrari,” commented Norris, third on the grid.

“It was definitely the most difficult pole position. We've struggled all season, and in Q2 we almost had both cars out. Charles managed to get the tires in the right window on the preparation lap. It's a question of details. How you manage the launch lap is crucial for the tires. We were lucky; we're all at the limit with the tires. There were a lot of ups and downs in the first two sessions, but then everything got back under control. We need to understand the reason for these ups and downs, though.” This was what Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said to Sky Sport after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. "Hamilton? It's a matter of hundredths of a second. You don't know the track conditions, there are so many unknowns. The window in which to squeeze in is very narrow. It's frustrating for him; he missed a lap in Q2. We have to learn from these situations; we can't rest on our laurels. We're focusing on ourselves and trying to develop a good tire management strategy," explains the Frenchman.

THE STARTING GRID

1. Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari 1'15″372 at an average speed of 209.250 km/h 2. Oscar Piastri (AUS) McLaren 1'15″398 2nd row 3. Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren 1'15″413 4. George Russell (GBR) Mercedes 1'15″425 3rd row 5. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Aston Martin 1'15″481 6. Lance Stroll (CAN) Aston Martin 1'15″498 4th row 7. Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA) Kick Sauber 1'15″725 8. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull 1'15″728 5th row 9. Liam Lawson (NZL) Racing Bulls 1'15"821 10. Isack Hadjar (FRA) Racing Bulls 1'15"915 6th row 11. Oliver Bearman (GBR) Haas 1'15"694 12. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Ferrari 1'15"702 7th row 13. Carlos Sainz (ESP) Williams 1'15"781 14. Franco Colapinto (ARG) Alpine 1'16"159 8th row 15. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA) Mercedes 1'16"386 16. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) Red Bull 1'15"899 9th row 17. Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine 1'15"966 18. Esteban Ocon (FRA) Haas 1'16″023 10th row 19. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Kick Sauber 1'16″081

20. Alexander Albon (THA) Williams 1'16″223