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Leclerc stuns McLarens to take pole for Ferrari
AP • August 3rd, 2025 6:30 am
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc celebrates his pole position at the Hungaroring | Photo: AP
Charles Leclerc finished ahead of both McLarens to snatch a surprise first pole position of the year for Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday (Sunday morning NZ time), recording a top lap of 1:15.372.
Leclerc punched the air in delight as he climbed out of the car after beating Australian championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.026 of a second. His teammate Lando Norris was third, 0.041 behind Leclerc.
Leclerc had consistently been the best of the rest behind the McLarens in practice but remained well off Piastri and Norris' pace.
That changed in qualifying, with the help of conditions which gradually got gloomier and windier, working against the McLarens.
Norris and Piastri were each about half a second slower per lap in the final part of qualifying, compared to the second segment.
Still, pole came as a shock at a circuit which Leclerc had called "by far the worst track of the season for me" earlier in the week.
"What?" Leclerc exclaimed over the radio when he was told.
"Honestly, I have no words. It's probably one of the best pole positions I've ever had because it's the most unexpected," Leclerc added later.
Pole position is usually a big advantage in Hungary, where overtaking is difficult, but Piastri was confident he could win from second place.
"Pretty confident," Piastri, 16 points clear of Norris, said of his chances of a seventh win from 14 races.
"It was good last year, so hopefully it can be good again this year."
Piastri started second last year, with Norris on pole, and went on to take the first win of his F1 career.
Liam Lawson has qualified in ninth, ahead of Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar | Photo: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Poll
McLaren were fastest in all three practice sessions but Leclerc made the most of the conditions to seize a surprise advantage.
"If you're sat where Charles is, fantastic. If you're sat where I'm sat, bizarre and somewhat frustrating," Piastri said.
"I think the conditions completely changed, and it was just weird.
"I think our pace has been good, but Charles has been quick all weekend, in certain sessions. It is a very difficult track to overtake on, and it's not going to be the easiest place to try and regain the lead."
It was another frustrating day for Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari, however.
Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix a record eight times but qualified in 12th.
"Every time, every time," Hamilton told the team over the radio after he qualified outside the top 10 for the second straight race.
"I'm useless, absolutely useless," a downcast Hamilton surprisingly told British broadcaster Sky Sports later.
"The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole. So they probably need to change driver."
Ferrari have not won a Grand Prix since Carlos Sainz's victory in Mexico in October.
Defending champion Max Verstappen was eighth after struggling with the balance of his Red Bull car.
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson was the best of the rest in RB's stable at 1:15.821 - qualifying ninth, just ahead of his Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar, while Yuki Tsunoda was out in Q1 to be 16th on the grid.
It will be 'lights out' this Monday 1am NZST at the Hungaroring.
