F1 Hungarian GP: Charles Leclerc snatches pole position from McLaren

Charles Leclerc took a sensational and surprise pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, as McLaren’s dominant pace over the weekend so far evaporated at the climax of Formula 1 qualifying.

The McLarens had led both Q1 and Q2 by some margin, and Lando Norris had set a 1m14.8s in the intermediate stage – but neither of them got anywhere close to that pace in their final runs in Q3.

Leclerc, meanwhile, reeled off a 1m15.372s on his final attempt to take provisional pole, but both McLaren drivers logged slower times in the opening sector; Norris improved slightly to ensure he got closer to Oscar Piastri, but the Australian could not improve, citing the change in wind direction.

Hence, Piastri joins Leclerc – who was evidently surprised by the result over the radio – on the front row, while Norris has George Russell alongside him on the second row as the cooling conditions ensured Mercedes was in the mix.

Aston Martin impressed and secured fifth and sixth on the grid; Fernando Alonso was briefly ahead of Norris before the Briton did his final lap, and was just 0.109s off Leclerc’s pole pace. Lance Stroll lines up behind him, ahead of the equally impressive Gabriel Bortoleto, who made Q3 for the third time in four races.

Max Verstappen could only find a time good enough for eighth on the grid, marginally ahead of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, who completed the top 10.

Lewis Hamilton was the biggest scalp in Q2; the Briton ended the first runs of the session in 11th, but had seemingly got himself into the top 10 with his second effort.

But his 1m15.702s was beaten by a clutch of drivers behind him, and was pushed further down the order when Verstappen and Bortoleto improved late on in the session.

Their laps also pushed Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman out of the reckoning for Q3, as the Mercedes driver complained of no rear end. He qualified 11th for Sunday’s race, with Bearman 12th and Hamilton 13th.

Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto swapped places late on, but never posed a real threat to break out of Q2.

Lawson dumped Yuki Tsunoda out of Q1 at the last minute, even though the Japanese driver was less than 0.2s off team-mate Verstappen as Red Bull toiled in the opening stage.

Tsunoda was joined by Pierre Gasly in the dropzone, who was outqualified by Colapinto for the second time this season. Esteban Ocon had been troubled by a loose screw embedded in the surface of his right-front tyre and only qualified 18th.

Nico Hulkenberg and Alexander Albon will provisionally occupy the final row on the grid; the latter looked to have a distinctly loose Williams underneath him, and was beaten handily by team-mate Sainz in the session.