BUDAPEST: Charles Leclerc snatched a surprise first pole position of the year for Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday, beating both McLarens.
Leclerc punched the air in delight as he climbed out of the car after beating Oscar Piastri by 0.026 of a second and the other McLaren of Lando Norris by .041.
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 gloomy, windy conditions that worked against the McLarens.
Still, pole came as a shock. “What?” Leclerc exclaimed over the radio when he was told he’d qualified first.
It was a stark contrast with yet another frustrating day for Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari.
Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix a record eight times but qualified 12th as the seven-time champion’s troubles in his first season with Ferrari continued.
“Every time, every time,” Hamilton told the team over the radio after he qualified outside the top 10 for the second straight race.
Defending champion Max Verstappen was only eighth after struggling with the balance of his Red Bull, and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda was 16th. That piles more pressure on the Japanese driver, who hasn’t scored a point in six races.
