02/08/2025
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 53 degrees. There is some rain on the radar but it is not expected to affect the session.
If we take it as done that the McLarens are going to fill the front row, the question has to be what will be happening behind.
Well, on the evidence thus far, Ferrari has to be looking good, with Aston Martin having taken a significant step forward.
Preoccupied as it seeks to rediscover its early season form, Mercedes won't be helped by the increasing temperatures, while Red Bull appears to be at sixes and sevens. Then again, the Austrian team has never really liked this track.
While Williams and RB are struggling, Stake is looking strong, with Haas and Alpine yet to really show their hands.
Other than the heat, and the intermittent wind, traffic is set to be a problem over the next hour along with track limits.
The lights go green but there is no immediate rush to action.
Eventually, the sound of Sainz' Mercedes fills the air. The Spaniard is followed by his Williams teammate.
Heading into Turn 1 for the start of his flyer, Sainz locks-up which will not help his cause. His teammate is also struggling.
Sainz crosses the line at 18.282 while Albon responds with a 17.441.
Verstappen, Tsunoda, Norris, Piastri, Ocon and the Ferraris are next out, possibly prompted by the distant, darkening skies.
Verstappen crosses the line at 16.346 and Tsunoda 16.534.
However, Norris responds with a 15.927 and Piastri a 15.554.
Ocon goes fifth ahead of the Williams pair, but is demoted when Hamilton (15.949) goes third and Stroll fourth.
Leclerc can only manage sixth, as Alonso goes fourth and Hadjar fifth.
Antonelli goes second with a 15.782 but is demoted when his Mercedes teammate stops the clock at 15.627.
Sainz can only improve to fifteenth, though he is demoted to the drop zone by his teammate.
Hulkenberg runs wide in Turn 12 spreading gravel on to the track.
The Aston Martin pair get the final assault underway, Stroll leading the way.
As they begin their flying laps, they are joined by the McLarens and Red Bulls.
Stroll goes quickest in S1, but Alonso goes quicker. Stroll posts a 15.673 to go third, while Alonso goes top (15.281) having been quickest in all three sectors.
Ocon warns that there is a screw stuck to his front right tyre.
Piastri goes top with a 15.211 while Norris's 15.523 is only good enough for third.
Verstappen goes sixth, Hadjar third and Tsunoda ninth.
Hulkenberg goes twelfth, Bortoleto fifth and Sainz seventh.
Gasly goes thirteenth and Colapinto eleventh, while Albon fails to make the cut.
Bearman goes tenth, Hamilton ninth and Leclerc fifth.
At the death Lawson goes fourteenth, which is bad news for Tsunoda.
Quickest is Piastri, ahead of Alonso, Hadjar, Norris, Leclerc, Bortoleto, Russell, Sainz, Stroll and Hamilton.
We lose Tsunoda, Gasly, Ocon, Hulkenberg and Albon.
Delayed by five minutes due to gravel on the track, Antonelli finally gets Q2 underway. He is followed by Russell, Stroll, Alonso and Bearman.
"Ugh, these guys," complains Colapinto, stuck at the back of the queue in the pitlane as fans in the stands put up umbrellas and reach for their ponchos.
Antonelli posts a 16.386, while his teammate responds with a 16.057.
Stroll posts a 15.680 and Alonso a 15.395, the Spaniard quickest in all three sectors.
Bearman goes third, Lawson fifth and Bortoleto seventh.
Hadjar goes third and Verstappen sixth.
Norris stops the clock at 14.890, as Sainz goes ninth.
Hamilton goes ninth while Piastri can only manage second, 0.051s down on his teammate.
Leclerc goes tenth, both Ferraris on used rubber unlike the McLarens, Aston Martins, Hadjar and Bearman.
Colapinto has his timer deleted and therefore has yet to post a time.
"Focus please on one thing," urges Leclerc, "and that is to go out as soon as possible. Don't care about anything else."
Stroll heads out for the final assault.
PBs in all three sectors see Stroll improve to third with a 15.129.
Chaos in the pitlane as Sainz attempts to force his way into the queue.
Bearman goes fifth as Leclerc runs a little wide in Turn 4.
Leclerc goes fifth, Hamilton seventh, Lawson sixth and Hadjar sixth.
Antonelli goes eighth, Russell fourth and Verstappen eighth which h is bad news for Hamilton.
Bortoleto goes tenth, thereby demoting Antonelli.
"There's no rear," says the Italian, "I don't know, what the heck!"
While Alonso opted not to run, countryman Sainz fails to make the cut.
"Every time, every time," sighs a despondent Hamilton.
Norris is quickest, ahead of Piastri, Stroll, Russell, Alonso, Leclerc, Hadjar, Verstappen, Lawson and Bortoleto.
We lose Bearman, Hamilton, Sainz, Colapinto and Antonelli who has his final time deleted.
Check out our Saturday gallery from the Hungaroring here.
Stroll is first out for Q3, followed by his teammate and Lawson. Leclerc and Norris are next out.
Stroll crosses the line at 16.660, but Alonso responds with a 16.025.
Lawson goes third with a 16.649 as Leclerc posts a 16.630.
Norris goes top with a 15.494 but Piastri responds with a 15.398.
Bortoleto goes sixth, but is demoted when Russell goes third, the Mercedes driver quickest in the first two sectors.
"That was all over the place," says Russell, "very gusty, I think."
Stroll has his time deleted for exceeding track limits in Turn 9.
The Aston Martin gets the final assault underway, once again Stroll leading the way.
"Already on the out lap I have no grip," says Verstappen, "literally, it's like driving on ice."
Alonso goes quickest in S1, as Stroll goes third overall with a 15.498.
Alonso goes second, just 0.083s off Piastri's pace!!!
"It's a good lap," says the Spaniard.
Leclerc goes quickest in S2, crossing the line at 15.372 to take provisional pole.
Hadjar goes seventh, while Norris can only mange third.
Piastri also fails to improve, Bortoleto goes seventh, Lawson eighth and Russell fourth.
Verstappen posts a 15.728 go to eighth.
"Mamma Mia," exclaims Leclerc when told he has pole.
Well, it's fair to say that Leclerc is as shocked as the rest of us, and that certainly includes the McLaren pair.
Also, let's not forget that his teammate went out in Q2, then again Tsunoda went out in Q1, and then there was Antonelli.
McLaren will be more than a little shell-shocked, and while Russell will have every right to feel pleased with himself, so too do the Aston Martin pair. Hats off to Bortoleto also.
"Charles did a good lap," acknowledges Norris, "probably risked a bit more.
"The wind changed and seemed to punish us," he adds. "But nothing to complain of, we both did good laps and it wasn't enough.
"I want to go forwards and I want to win. I think it will be an exciting race, I expect us to have a bit more pace than Charles so I am looking forward to it."
"The wind changed a lot," says Piastri, "it sounds pathetic blaming the wind but it switched around.
"It was difficult to judge in those conditions," he adds, "maybe not the best execution. I was surprised we couldn't go quicker than that.
"Charles has been quick all weekend, and even this morning he was closer than expected. I wasn't expecting to be second to a Ferrari this weekend, but he's done a good job."
Check out our Saturday gallery from the Hungaroring here.