Ferrari may have come into qualifying looking like the favorite for pole position, but it was Lando Norris who secured P1 by the end of the session, and the reigning World Champion will line up first on the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. Below is the full qualifying report.
Q1 Report:
Q1 ended with Lando Norris fastest, ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli. However, the stand-out moment from the first part of qualifying has to be Fernando Alonso’s incredible performance to get his Aston Martin into Q2. His result, even if he finishes P16, shows that the upgrades are already working in his favor, and with even more tweaks, the car could be back in the fight with some of the lower midfield runners. However, one of those teams is looking rather strong this weekend, and that team is Audi. Both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have made it through, and not by a small margin either, as Hulkenberg finished sixth fastest and Bortoleto was not far behind. Alpine also escaped to Q2, though it was tighter than they would’ve wanted, especially during their fight with Racing Bulls.
By the end of Q1, the drivers eliminated were Ollie Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez.
Q2 Report:
Lando Norris continues his run of form to go quickest in the second part of qualifying. Meanwhile, Alpine failed to get either driver into Q3, while only Arvid Lindblad could make it into the top ten for Racing Bulls. Nico Hulkenberg also managed to make it through for Audi, which the give the German some much-needed confidence going into the race. Yellow flags were also briefly waved for Isack Hadjar, as the Red Bull driver spun after dipping a wheel into the gravel. Hadjar managed to keep it away from the barriers though and got going again after righting the car. Disregarding this incident, Red Bull have been looking fast all weekend, and will definitely be in contention for pole position, along with Ferrari. Lando Norris also looks 100 percent in the fight, though his teammate is some ways behind. Mercedes could also pull something together, but they appear less strong this weekend compared to the others.
So, the drivers who won’t be going into the top ten shootout are Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Franco Colapinto, Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, and Fernando Alonso.
Q3 Report:
The last part of qualifying brought lots of excitement, but when Q3 came to an end it was Lando Norris who secured pole position ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerlc. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen suffered from a spin coming into Turn 14 in the final moments, triggering brief yellow flags that interrupted laps from both Russell and Antonelli. George Russells’ qualifying didn’t get any better, after the Mercedes driver was forced to come to a stop on the track at the end of the session. His teammate Kimi Antonelli could only manage fourth, with Oscar Piastri behind in fifth. Max Verstappen ended P6 after his spin, ahead of seventh-placed Russell. Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, and Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten.
The focus will now turn to the Grand Prix on Sunday, and what the drivers can do on a circuit that is not particularly known for overtaking.
