Leclerc claims shock pole position at Hungarian Grand Prix as Hamilton struggles
Charles Leclerc delivered a stunning qualifying performance to secure pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday, catching favorites McLaren off guard in dramatic fashion. The Ferrari driver's unexpected triumph came as teammate Lewis Hamilton endured a disappointing session, finishing 12th and expressing harsh self-criticism about his performance at the Hungaroring.
Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri will start alongside Leclerc on the front row after qualifying second for McLaren, while his teammate and title rival Lando Norris secured third position in a session that many had predicted would see McLaren dominance. Mercedes driver George Russell completed the second row, adding to what promises to be an intriguing race day battle.
The pole position marked Ferrari's first regular grand prix pole of the season, creating a stark contrast between the team's two drivers. While Leclerc celebrated his breakthrough moment, Hamilton struggled to find pace and faced the painful reality of qualifying outside the points-paying positions. The seven-time world champion had previously taken a sprint pole in Shanghai during March but has struggled to replicate that form in regular qualifying sessions.
Hamilton's frustration was evident in his post-qualifying comments to Sky Sports television, where he delivered a brutally honest assessment of his performance. "It's me every time," the seven-times world champion told Sky Sports television when explaining why he said "every time, every time" over the radio after failing to make the cut. "I'm useless, absolutely useless. The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole," he added, referring to Leclerc's feat. "So we probably need to change driver."
The result proved particularly painful for Hamilton given his historical success at the Hungarian circuit. The Hungaroring was once considered Hamilton's personal territory, where he had accumulated eight victories and nine pole positions throughout his career. However, since joining Ferrari, the British driver has yet to achieve a podium finish, while Leclerc has managed five top-three results during the same period.
Leclerc himself appeared surprised by the unexpected outcome, struggling to comprehend how Ferrari had managed to outpace the McLaren duo. "Today, I don't understand anything in Formula One," commented the driver, who exclaimed over the radio "What? Mamma Mia!" when told he was on pole by 0.026 of a second. "Honestly, the whole qualifying was extremely difficult. When I say extremely difficult, it's not exaggerating. It's probably one of the best pole positions I've ever had. It's the most unexpected, for sure."
The Monegasque driver's pole position represents his first since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last September, marking a significant breakthrough for both him and Ferrari's 2025 campaign.
Piastri, who currently holds a 16-point advantage over Norris in what appears to be developing into a two-horse championship race, expressed similar surprise at Ferrari's pace. "I wasn't expecting to be second to a Ferrari this weekend," said the Australian, who claimed his maiden Formula One victory at this same circuit last year and had been fastest in Saturday's final practice session.
The qualifying result represented a significant shift from McLaren's recent dominance, having secured eight pole positions this season and qualified one-two at Hungary during their previous visit. The Woking-based team has also claimed victory in 10 of the 13 races contested so far this season, including six one-two finishes, making Leclerc's pole position all the more remarkable.
Despite McLaren's superior recent form, the characteristics of the Hungaroring could play into Ferrari's hands on race day. The comparatively slow and twisty circuit outside Budapest traditionally makes overtaking challenging, potentially allowing Leclerc to convert his pole position into Ferrari's first victory of 2025.
Norris acknowledged that Leclerc had likely taken greater risks during his final qualifying run, with changing wind conditions affecting the session's latter stages. "I think it's going to be an exciting race. I would expect us to have a bit more pace than Charles, so I'm looking forward to it," said the Briton, who qualified just 0.015 seconds slower than his teammate Piastri.
The qualifying session also brought positive news for Aston Martin, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll securing fifth and sixth positions respectively. This represented a marked improvement for the team, which had suffered the disappointment of starting from the back of the grid just one weekend earlier in Belgium.
Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto will start seventh for Sauber, the team destined to become Audi's factory operation, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen could only manage eighth position for Red Bull. The defending champion's struggles continued a difficult period for the previously dominant team.
Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar completed the top ten starting positions, while Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda failed to progress beyond the first qualifying phase and will start 16th after being outpaced by his predecessor in the Red Bull seat, Lawson.
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