Hungarian GP qualifying report: surprise Ferrari pole position as Charles Leclerc stuns McLaren!

Hungarian GP qualifying report: surprise Ferrari pole position as Charles Leclerc stuns McLaren!. Charles Leclerc stuns McLaren to take pole for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.

The grid for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix has been officially set following a dramatic and unpredictable qualifying session at the Hungaroring. While McLaren once again confirmed its status as the team to beat, the big surprise came from Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc pulling off a remarkable lap to take pole position in Budapest.

There was disappointment for both Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton, who continued to struggle after a string of difficult weekends. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, managed to limit the damage following a tough start to the weekend.

Qualifying began with McLaren asserting dominance in Q1, immediately going one-two and making clear they had strong pace around the high-downforce circuit. Just behind the two papaya cars came Lewis Hamilton and a resurgent Fernando Alonso. Charles Leclerc initially appeared off the pace, sitting around six tenths behind the top time, but Mercedes showed encouraging form as both drivers slotted between the two McLarens on their first attempt. However, they were still unable to challenge Oscar Piastri for the top spot.

The track evolved significantly in the final minutes of Q1 as cooler temperatures improved grip. Oscar Piastri ended the session as the fastest driver, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton finished the session only in tenth and eleventh, while Kimi Antonelli also struggled to get up to speed.

The start of Q2 was made even more complicated by a sudden onset of rain over the Hungaroring. Despite the challenging conditions, McLaren remained unshaken, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locking out the top two positions once again. Ferrari, on the other hand, ran into difficulties. Charles Leclerc could only manage tenth place, and Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in P11.

The two Ferrari drivers improved slightly on their final runs but not enough to feel secure. As a result, Lewis Hamilton failed to progress into Q3. Kimi Antonelli also missed out by just six thousandths of a second—and to make matters worse, his lap time was deleted after the chequered flag for exceeding track limits.

In Q3, McLaren once again led the charge, followed closely by George Russell in the Mercedes. Max Verstappen continued to struggle with a lack of confidence in the car’s balance, and Charles Leclerc’s first flying lap was far from perfect. However, the Ferrari driver found something special in his final attempt, delivering a brilliant lap that shocked the paddock and secured an unexpected pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix.