Lewis Hamilton Claims Stunning Pole Victory by 0.003s Over Max Verstappen at Hungarian Grand Prix
In an exhilarating and closely contested Formula 1 qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton snatched pole position from Max Verstappen by a mere 0.003s for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver made a spectacular last-minute effort in Q3 at the Hungaroring, overturning Verstappen’s benchmark lap to claim his first pole position of the season.
The qualifying format for the race underwent a tweak as part of an ‘alternative tyre allocation’ trial. In Q1, drivers were only allowed to use hard tires, followed by medium tires in Q2, and finally, soft tires in Q3. This change resulted in an intensely competitive qualifying session that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Lando Norris initially broke into the 1m16s with a blistering time of 1m16.904s, placing him at the top of the order. However, his hopes of securing pole position were dashed when Verstappen set an impressive 1m16.612s lap, asserting his dominance.
Hamilton, determined to disrupt the Verstappen-Norris front-row lockout, delivered a stellar performance, posting a time of 1m16.738s that placed him between the two drivers. With glimpses of Mercedes’ potential throughout the weekend, Hamilton showcased his skills and determination.
As the qualifying session progressed into the second run, Verstappen’s first sector failed to match his initial performance. Although he improved in the second part of the lap, he ultimately fell short of his earlier time, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from behind.
Norris came closest to challenging Verstappen, falling just short with a time of 1m16.694s. Meanwhile, Hamilton maintained an advantage over Verstappen in the second sector. Despite appearing to veer off-track in the final corners, the seven-time champion held on to claim his first pole since 2021.
Behind the front row, McLaren’s dominance continued as the team locked out the second row. Oscar Piastri showcased strong form, setting the best middle sector of the session, while Zhou Guanyu impressed by securing fifth place on the grid for Alfa Romeo.
Charles Leclerc finished in sixth place, followed closely by Valtteri Bottas, who was just over half a tenth adrift from his Chinese teammate. Fernando Alonso trailed Bottas by a mere 0.001s, securing an eighth-place start.
Sergio Perez ended his five-race drought without a Q3 appearance and claimed ninth on the grid. Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10, once again demonstrating his impressive performance by securing a spot in the top-10 shootout.
Qualifying brought disappointment for Carlos Sainz, as his Ferrari teammate Leclerc narrowly edged him out in the dying moments of the session. Sainz trailed Alonso by a minuscule 0.002s, leaving him outside of Q3.
Verstappen experienced a scare when his initial Q2-topping effort was invalidated for exceeding track limits at Turn 5. This forced him to embark on a second effort using a new set of medium tires. Despite the setback, Verstappen comfortably broke into the top 10, displacing Esteban Ocon and intensifying the battle to make it to the final part of qualifying.
Bottas showcased the pace of the Alfa Romeo, surging into fourth place to secure a spot in Q3. This set the stage for a thrilling duel between the Ferraris to determine the final Q3 qualifier. Ultimately, Sainz missed out, as Leclerc advanced with over a tenth to spare, while Ocon qualified in 12th place for the grand prix.
Daniel Ricciardo, making his return after replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, secured 13th place. Lance Stroll was promoted to 14th after Pierre Gasly’s final lap was invalidated for track limits. Impressively, all the final times fell within one second of each other.
In a surprising turn of events, George Russell became the biggest casualty of a wild Q1 session, failing to improve his time in the dying stages. Russell voiced frustration regarding high levels of traffic, which hindered his final lap. He found himself overtaken by Norris, Bottas, and Gasly before the final corner as they battled for track position. Russell ultimately finished in 18th place.
Alex Albon initially escaped the drop zone but then fell down the order as Ricciardo excelled to outqualify Yuki Tsunoda at the first attempt. Albon was less than 0.8s shy of Zhou’s benchmark, while Tsunoda trailed the Anglo-Thai driver by a mere 0.002s.
Behind Russell, Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant rounded out the bottom of the qualifying standings. Magnussen lost a lap due to track limits in the initial stages, and Sargeant encountered difficulties while attempting to break out of the bottom five, rattling across the Turn 6/7 chicane.
With the stage set for an intense and closely fought Hungarian Grand Prix, all eyes will be on Hamilton and Verstappen as they vie for victory in this highly-anticipated race.