Event: Hungarian F1 Grand Prix
Track: Hungaroring circuit
Weather: dry 29°C
Tarmac: dry 52°C
Humidity : 33%
Wind : 2.8 km/h South
Charles Leclerc scored his 27th F1 pole position of his career, during the qualifying session for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix today. It was the first pole of the season for the Ferrari driver. The Monegasque driver will start from P1 for the first time on the Hungaroring. It was the 254th pole for the Ferrari team.
Leclerc Shocks McLaren Duo to Snatch Pole in Thrilling Hungarian GP Qualifying
It was billed as a McLaren showdown. It became a Ferrari fairytale.
Under dramatic skies at the Hungaroring, Charles Leclerc turned the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session on its head, stealing pole position by just 0.026s from Oscar Piastri with a final lap that could only be described as magnifique. It was Ferrari’s first pole of the season—and possibly one of the most unexpected.
Let’s dive into the chaos, tension, and glory that unfolded across all three segments of Saturday’s qualifying.
Q1 – Rain Threats and Tight Margins
Dark clouds loomed over Budapest, but the track remained dry as Q1 got underway. Still, nerves were high. Most teams hesitated at the start, unsure whether to get out early or wait—and Williams blinked first, sending out Sainz and Albon.
As the rubber got laid down, lap times tumbled. Verstappen was the first to set a benchmark, but the McLarens quickly asserted their dominance. Piastri put in a stunner—1m15.554s—to top the session by nearly four-tenths over Norris. Behind them, the pecking order was volatile.
The final minutes saw the backmarkers push to escape elimination. Bortoleto went fifth in a surprising effort for Kick Sauber, while Colapinto outqualified Gasly in a solid showing for the Argentine rookie. But it was heartbreak for Tsunoda, who missed out by just 0.024s—eliminated alongside Gasly, Ocon, Hulkenberg, and Albon.
Q1 Eliminated:
16. Tsunoda
17. Gasly
18. Ocon
19. Hulkenberg
20. Albon
Q2 – Drama, Dropped Temps & A Shakeup
With clouds thickening and radar picking up the possibility of showers, Q2 became a game of timing. Mercedes sent out Russell and Antonelli early, hoping to capitalise on slightly better grip. Meanwhile, chaos brewed in the pit lane as everyone else jostled for position.
Despite Mercedes’ early runs, it was Alonso who went fastest initially, showing Aston Martin’s strong form. But as the session progressed, it became clear the McLarens were still the benchmark—Norris topped the timesheets, with Piastri just 0.051s behind.
The real tension, though, was mid-pack. Colapinto and Sainz struggled to get a clean lap in. Hamilton briefly rose to P7 but was ultimately shuffled down as Russell improved. Antonelli, who initially did enough for P8, had his time deleted for track limits and dropped to 15th.
Bortoleto was the star here—clutching onto P10 and knocking out the big guns.
Q2 Eliminated:
11. Antonelli
12. Bearman
13. Hamilton
14. Sainz
15. Colapinto
Q3 – The Leclerc Lightning Bolt
If you had predicted a Ferrari pole based on practice, you’d have been laughed out of the paddock. Leclerc was nearly four tenths off the pace in FP3. But as Q3 rolled around, he reminded everyone why he’s considered one of the best over a single lap.
The session began with mixed tyre strategies—some drivers on used softs, others on fresh rubber. McLaren initially led the way, Piastri taking provisional pole over Norris, with Russell right behind. Alonso showed flashes of brilliance too, momentarily splitting the papaya pair.
With two minutes remaining, Leclerc launched his final attack. Purple in sector two. Clean through the final chicane. Over the line... P1 by 0.026s!
A stunned silence fell over the Ferrari garage before it erupted in cheers. Even Leclerc sounded surprised on the radio. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “This might be one of my best laps ever.”
Behind him, the margins were razor-thin:
Piastri missed pole by 0.026s
Norris was just 0.015s behind his teammate
Russell trailed Norris by a mere 0.012s
Fernando Alonso took P5, just 0.056s behind Russell, with Stroll 0.017s behind his teammate in sixth. Then came Bortoleto, Verstappen (who never looked comfortable), and rookies Lawson and Hadjar rounding out the top 10.
Final Thoughts – Storm Brewing for Sunday?
The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix grid is one of the tightest we’ve seen this year, and if you think today was wild—just wait for lights out. McLaren will be on the attack, Leclerc alone up front with no teammate in the top 10, and rain still lingering in the forecast.
Mercedes might fancy their chances if conditions cool down further, and Aston Martin have quietly placed themselves in a strong position to steal big points.
Meanwhile, Verstappen starts a lowly P8, with a mountain to climb and no Red Bull wingman in sight. Hamilton and Sainz will need miracles from the midfield. And Franco Colapinto might be cursing track limits after just missing Q3.
In short: We’re set for a Sunday showdown in Budapest. And if today’s qualifying was any indication, the drama is just getting started.
Qualifying Times 2025 Hungarian GP
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:15.582 | 1:15.455 | 1:15.372 | 18 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:15.211 | 1:14.941 | 1:15.398 | 18 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:15.523 | 1:14.890 | 1:15.413 | 18 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:15.627 | 1:15.201 | 1:15.425 | 15 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:15.281 | 1:15.395 | 1:15.481 | 15 |
| 6 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:15.673 | 1:15.129 | 1:15.498 | 18 |
| 7 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 1:15.586 | 1:15.687 | 1:15.725 | 18 |
| 8 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:15.736 | 1:15.547 | 1:15.728 | 18 |
| 9 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:15.849 | 1:15.630 | 1:15.821 | 18 |
| 10 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:15.516 | 1:15.469 | 1:15.915 | 15 |
| 11 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:15.750 | 1:15.694 | 12 | |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:15.733 | 1:15.702 | 12 | |
| 13 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:15.652 | 1:15.781 | 15 | |
| 14 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:15.875 | 1:16.159 | 12 | |
| 15 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:15.782 | 1:16.386 | 9 | |
| 16 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 1:15.899 | 6 | ||
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:15.966 | 6 | ||
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:16.023 | 6 | ||
| 19 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 1:16.081 | 6 | ||
| 20 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:16.223 | 9 |
Last years pole position time was a 1:15.227 min, clocked by Lando Norri swith the McLaren MCL38.
✅ Don't forget to check out our 2025 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix preview info.
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
Lulu using the known Charlie defense this time, im so useless totally useless, change driver?, well i did say this year Charlie would muller Lucy, thats the 4th time , shes gone out in Q2 and the 2nd race in succession,I hope Ferrari kept the receipt, Laura hasn't been the same since 21, father time has caught up with her, its time for a few more documents on how to drive faster I think, and still Ferrari keep the faith and defend her, its getting to be embarrassing for Ferrari now isnt it, no doubt when she makes up a few insignificant places the media will say she had a fantastic race, well done AM and esp Nando, Oscar wont care , he just needs to be ahead of Lando at the end, disappointing from Max, but lets the honest the championships decided so while he hasn't given up , the rest of the year is no big deal now, An early Nico is on the cards..
✅ Checkout the latest 50 F1 Fans comments.