The 2025 Formula 1 weekend at the Hungaroring in Hungary has now fully entered its most intense and decisive phase. Ferrari came into the qualifying session with a clear and determined objective: to solidify their status as the second-fastest team on the grid, behind only the high-performing and consistently strong McLaren outfit. Just as it had happened during Friday’s free practice sessions, Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc once again secured third place in the final practice session, recording a gap of 0.399 seconds from Oscar Piastri. Interestingly, this was the exact same time difference that was observed in the second free practice session on Friday. However, the Italian side was looking more behind and was not losing sight of the Mercedes team, who appeared poised to pose a serious threat and potentially challenge for top positions.
Let’s now take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the two Ferrari drivers on Saturday afternoon in Budapest: both of the Ferrari SF-25 cars exited the garage and made their way onto the track for their first qualifying runs, fitted with the soft compound tyres. At the start of Q1, the general track conditions were very similar to those observed earlier in the day during Free Practice 3. Charles Leclerc struggled to complete a particularly clean and tidy lap on his first run, whereas Lewis Hamilton managed to put together a more composed and well-structured lap time. Nevertheless, the familiar limitations with the Ferrari car remained evident: the drivers encountered ongoing difficulty in consistently hitting the apex of corners, and there was a noticeable tendency for oversteer when exiting the slower turns.
Managing tyre performance and degradation continues to be a crucial and strategic factor, and it remains an area where Ferrari is placing great focus and effort. On the second timed attempt, still using the softest available tyre compound, the main goal was to safely progress beyond the first phase of qualifying and avoid elimination. The pit lane quickly became congested, with several teams sending out their cars in rapid succession, as the clock continued to count down and the time window to set a valid lap began to narrow significantly. Meanwhile, the weather began to change—clouds gathered over the circuit, blocking out the sun, which caused the track temperature to drop dramatically, falling by more than ten degrees Celsius compared to earlier in the session.
The two Ferrari drivers pushed hard in an attempt to bring the Pirelli soft tyres into their optimal working range in as little time as possible. Charles Leclerc had a major scare with a significant error in the second sector of the circuit, nearly losing control of his SF-25 at very high speed, which could have easily resulted in a spin. Nevertheless, the Monegasque driver managed to hold onto the car and completed his lap, placing fifth on the time sheets. Lewis Hamilton also progressed to Q2, although it was clear from his performance that the balance of the SF-25 car and the way the tyres were being activated remained far from optimal. Drivers eliminated from Q1 included Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, and Alexander Albon.
In the second qualifying segment, both Ferrari SF-25 cars appeared increasingly unstable, giving Charles Leclerc and his teammate a general sensation of unpredictability and a lack of confidence in the car’s handling behaviour. Both drivers communicated over the team radio to the pit wall, emphasising the urgent need to implement changes that could improve grip levels and restore a sense of control. Charles Leclerc, in particular, reported that the positive feeling and car balance he had experienced during Free Practice 3 had completely disappeared. This abrupt change in performance pointed to the need for immediate and decisive intervention from the engineering team.
The Monegasque driver further clarified that the only setup adjustment that had yielded positive results during the morning session had not been carried over into qualifying. Around the same time, as forecasted by the teams, light rain began to fall intermittently in the second sector of the track, raising the level of caution and alert among engineers and strategists. Ferrari’s race engineers worked to support the drivers with instructions and technical feedback ahead of the first real flying lap in Q2, knowing full well that track conditions could deteriorate at any moment and that the window of opportunity was shrinking quickly.
Lewis Hamilton struggled again in the second sector of the lap, where he lost several tenths of a second while navigating the medium-speed corners, and Charles Leclerc also failed to deliver a clean lap. The time gap between both drivers and the front-running competitors was already noticeable at this stage. However, it must be noted that both cars were still running on used soft tyres, which tend to offer less grip and consistency. The main issue remained the same as before: the tyres were simply not entering the correct thermal window required for maximum performance. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton reported persistent issues over the team radio, but lap times failed to improve in any significant way.
Following a brief stop in the garage, both drivers returned to the track equipped with a brand-new set of soft compound tyres. There was still a fair amount of traffic at pit exit, but the circuit surface had improved slightly by then, offering a bit more grip and stability. During their respective out laps, both drivers proceeded cautiously through the initial sector, making sure not to overheat the tyres too early. Once the timed laps began, Charles Leclerc drove more aggressively but experienced a moment of oversteer in the middle sector of the lap. Despite the small slide, the Monegasque driver managed to qualify for Q3. Lewis Hamilton, although more consistent and tidy in his driving, was unfortunately not fast enough to advance and was eliminated in 12th place. Other drivers who failed to move on to Q3 included Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Franco Colapinto, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc was clearly not satisfied with his first attempt in Q3, and he expressed his frustration in no uncertain terms over the team radio, using direct and candid language to describe his lap. British driver Lewis Hamilton, equally unhappy with his session, returned to the pit lane and voiced his discontent by saying it was “always the same story.” At that point in qualifying, Charles Leclerc remained Ferrari’s sole representative fighting at the front. Managing the used soft tyres in these conditions was far from straightforward, but it was necessary in order to rebuild confidence and attempt to make incremental improvements in car behaviour.
During the lap, it was evident just how challenging it was for Charles Leclerc to keep his SF-25 under control, especially in the more technical and complex corners of the Hungaroring. The car looked nervous, reactive, and required constant corrections and fine control from the driver. Just before attempting his final flying lap, Charles Leclerc asked his race engineer to consider revisiting the brake shaping settings, convinced that making a specific change would be beneficial. His engineer, Bryan Bozzi, replied that they would evaluate the request and analyse the necessary data when the car returned to the pits.
After a short exchange with his race engineer and a few minutes spent reviewing telemetry and sensor data, Ferrari car number 16 returned to the track for one last flying lap. This was the critical moment of qualifying, and Charles Leclerc did not disappoint. With a phenomenal lap, delivered under pressure and in unpredictable conditions, the Monegasque driver managed to secure a completely unexpected pole position for Scuderia Ferrari. He demonstrated expert judgement in adapting to the changing grip levels, handled a difficult situation with remarkable composure, and interpreted the track conditions with flawless precision. This pole position represented the 27th of Charles Leclerc’s career in the Formula 1 World Championship.
— see video above —
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