Charles Leclerc gave the passionate Formula 1 fans in Hungary a spectacular surprise by securing a remarkable pole position after launching an aggressive attack against the McLaren drivers, who had appeared dominant all weekend.
It was a mixed day for the Ferrari Formula 1 team at the Hungaroring. On one side of the garage, there was disappointment for Lewis Hamilton, who was eliminated early and failed to reach Q3 once again. On the other side, however, there was jubilation as Charles Leclerc rediscovered strong form and returned to pole position, a feat he had not achieved in more than a year.
The Monegasque driver recounted the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying from his point of view, describing the session as extremely complex due to the constantly changing track and weather conditions. The session was affected by a combination of high temperatures, which pushed the tyres to the limit, and intermittent rainfall, which cooled down the asphalt surface and introduced an element of unpredictability — something that was clearly reflected in the final outcome.
Charles Leclerc explained that the entire qualifying session was, in his words, “extremely difficult,” emphasizing that this was no exaggeration. He admitted that progressing through Q1 and Q2 was far from straightforward, and things became even more challenging once he reached Q3 due to a further shift in weather conditions.
The Ferrari driver also revealed that there was a general lack of confidence within the Scuderia Ferrari team heading into qualifying. The performance demonstrated by the McLaren Formula 1 team since the start of the race weekend had not helped to boost morale in Maranello. According to Charles Leclerc, the realistic internal target for the team was to aim for third place on the grid. “Today, I don’t understand anything at Formula 1. Honestly, the whole qualifying has been extremely difficult. When I say extremely difficult, it’s not exaggerating. “It was difficult for us to get to Q2, it was difficult for us to get to Q3. Everything became much more complicated,” the Monegasque explained, “and I knew I had to put together a clean lap to target P3 — but in the end, I got pole position, and to be honest, I really didn’t expect it.”
Speaking about the ever-changing weather, Charles Leclerc said he felt its impact quite significantly. He explained that his SF-25 car was running with relatively low aerodynamic downforce, which made the car particularly sensitive when the rain started to fall during Q2. At that point, he hoped the rain would not stay — and fortunately, the weather improved just enough. Despite the instability in track conditions that made the session increasingly treacherous, he still managed to secure pole position. According to the Monegasque driver, “Honestly, I have no words. This is probably one of the best pole positions I’ve ever achieved because it’s definitely the one I least expected.”
Finally, Charles Leclerc underlined his determination to convert this pole into a strong race result. He stressed that the race start and Turn 1 would be crucial moments in the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I have no idea how it will go,” he admitted, “but one thing is certain — I will absolutely do everything I can to keep this first place. If we manage that, it should make the rest of the race a little easier for us.”
Leave a Reply