Charles Leclerc delivered one of the shocks of the season in Budapest, snatching pole position from the McLaren pair in a dramatic end to Qualifying for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver pulled out a 1:15.372 on his final Q3 run to beat Oscar Piastri by just 0.026s, with Lando Norris only a further 0.015s behind in third. Leclerc’s surprise pole came after a turbulent session that included light rain, dropping track temperatures, and rising winds. All of it helped scramble the order at a typically twisty Hungaroring.
Q1: Piastri Starts Strong as Tsunoda Drops Out Early
Qualifying began under grey skies but with dry conditions holding firm. Oscar Piastri set the early benchmark with a 1:15.554 despite a trip over the Turn 12 gravel, while Alonso, Russell and Antonelli hovered close behind.
Carlos Sainz flat-spotted his tyres with a heavy lock-up into Turn 1 and was immediately under pressure. Max Verstappen only just kept himself out of the drop zone in 13th. Esteban Ocon had problems of his own, reporting a screw lodged in one of his tyres.
The final flurry of laps saw Piastri reclaim top spot with a 1:15.211. Alonso jumped to second, Hadjar impressed in third, and Leclerc rescued a scrappy segment to go fifth. Bortoleto caught the eye in sixth for Kick Sauber, while Verstappen scraped through in 11th.
Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg and Alex Albon were all eliminated.
Knocked out in Q1: Tsunoda, Gasly, Ocon, Hülkenberg, Albon
Q2: Rain Threatens, Hamilton and Antonelli Fall
Spots of rain began falling just before Q2 got underway. Teams pushed to get laps in early. Norris posted a 1:14.890 before conditions began to subtly shift. Bearman, Hadjar, Alonso and Stroll followed with strong banker laps. Hamilton, Antonelli and Colapinto struggled to get a clean run.
The final runs saw the usual chaos. A traffic jam at pit exit, deleted laps, and another scrappy outing for Hamilton. He ended up 12th and vented his frustration on the radio. Antonelli had done enough for P11 but lost the lap for track limits, sending him down to 15th. Colapinto and Sainz also missed out.
Norris and Piastri led the way into Q3, joined by both Aston Martins, Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc, and an impressive trio from Racing Bulls and Kick Sauber.
Knocked out in Q2: Bearman, Sainz, Hamilton, Colapinto, Antonelli
Q3: Leclerc Leaves It Late
With the track cooling and grip levels falling, Oscar Piastri threw down a 1:15.398 to kick off the pole shootout. He edged Norris by half a tenth. Russell slotted into third, while Leclerc sat provisionally down in sixth. Verstappen struggled for bite in eighth.
As the final laps began, Alonso surged to P2 and Stroll jumped to fourth. But it was Leclerc who lit up the timing screens, threading together a perfect final effort to leapfrog both McLarens and seal a pole that even he admitted was unexpected.
Bortoleto qualified seventh for Kick Sauber, ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull, and both Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar.
Final top 10:
- Charles Leclerc – 1:15.372
- Oscar Piastri – 1:15.398
- Lando Norris -1:15.413
- George Russell – 1:15.425
- Fernando Alonso – 1:15.481
- Lance Stroll – 1:15.532
- Gabriel Bortoleto – 1:15.566
- Max Verstappen – 1:15.590
- Liam Lawson – 1:15.612
- Isack Hadjar – 1:15.688
Hamilton Frustrated, Bortoleto Shines
The headlines may belong to Leclerc, but there were plenty of talking points down the order. Liam Lawson continued his solid form with ninth, leading teammate Hadjar in a double top-10 for Racing Bulls. Bortoleto’s P7 gave Kick Sauber their best grid slot of the year and continued the rookie’s form.
Hamilton, by contrast, was dejected after another underwhelming Q2 showing. “Every time,” he sighed over team radio, locked out of the top 10 alongside Antonelli.
Verstappen’s Q3 was equally low-key. Red Bull’s balance issues continue to hamper his outright pace, with just one lap good enough for eighth.
Leclerc: “I Don’t Understand Anything About F1 Today”
Speaking post-session, Leclerc summed up the confusion:
“Honestly, the whole Qualifying has been extremely difficult and I’m not exaggerating. It was super tricky to even reach Q2 and Q3. I thought a clean lap would put me third, but somehow… it’s pole. I definitely didn’t expect that.”
What to Watch on Sunday
If Ferrari can hold track position, this could turn into a vital race for Leclerc’s title hopes. But with McLaren’s long-run pace, Russell starting strong in fourth, and both Aston Martins looking lively, the fight up front is anything but clear.
And if Budapest has taught us anything before, it’s to expect chaos. Especially when Verstappen starts eighth with nothing to lose.