Charles Leclerc delivered an unexpected standout performance, securing his first pole position of the season for Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. The 25-year-old driver beat Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris of McLaren to second and third, respectively. With his lap of 1:25.367, he claimed the pole position on grid, setting the stage for a thrilling race day.
Leclerc’s remarkable lap time edged him ahead of Piastri by a mere 0.026 seconds, with Norris trailing closely behind, just 0.041 seconds off the pace. As a result, Leclerc’s accomplishment marks a significant achievement for Ferrari, especially given the team’s struggles in recent races.
Throughout the course of qualifying, Leclerc demonstrated stunning pace. He was on several occasions the fastest driver not in a McLaren on a Friday. He did the most with the least, taking full advantage of improving conditions on race day. Because of that, he lived out one of the greatest Formula 1 career highlights.
“Honestly, I have no words. It’s probably one of the best pole positions I’ve ever had because it’s the most unexpected.” – Charles Leclerc
Reigning champion Max Verstappen had a hard afternoon with his Red Bull car. He was fighting with a lot of precariousness throughout qualifying and ended up with an eighth place finish. Even for record eight-time Hungarian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton, that was an unanticipated hurdle. He lost out in an atypically 12th place.
Hamilton expressed his thoughts on the team’s current situation, highlighting the contrast between their performance and Leclerc’s success.
“The team have no problem. You’ve seen the car’s on pole. So they probably need to change driver.” – Lewis Hamilton
Piastri won his first F1 race from second on the grid last year. He says yes, because now from there of the grid, he has a really profitable alternate to compete for that win. He noted that racing from second place could present opportunities during the race, especially if he capitalizes on the start.
McLaren had been the team to beat, dominating all three practice sessions leading into qualifying, raising the bar for their high expectations. As for Piastri and Norris, both missed out on Q3 by the tiniest of margins in the closing stages of qualifying. They said they were at least half a second per lap off their previous laps.
Ferrari has not tasted victory since Carlos Sainz’s win in Mexico last October, making Leclerc’s pole position a critical moment for the team as they aim to turn their fortunes around in this year’s championship.
