Charles Leclerc stunned the motorsport community by securing pole position for Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 7, 2025. He clocked a time of 1:15.372, narrowly edging out championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren by just 0.026 seconds. Piastri’s teammate, Lando Norris, followed closely behind in third with a time just 0.015 seconds slower than Piastri’s.
Leclerc’s performance marked Ferrari’s first pole of the season for a grand prix, although Lewis Hamilton previously achieved pole during a sprint race in China. The team recently introduced upgraded suspension to their car ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, which appears to have made a significant impact on their performance.
Unexpected Results Amid Challenging Conditions
After the qualifying session, Leclerc expressed his astonishment at the outcome, stating, “Today I don’t understand anything in Formula 1. Honestly, the whole qualifying has been extremely difficult.” He elaborated that reaching Q2 and Q3 posed challenges, and he initially aimed for a third-place finish. “At the end of the day, it’s pole position. I definitely did not expect that,” he added.
The McLaren duo had shown strong form throughout practice, but they faced difficulties in the final qualifying session as conditions changed. Norris had set the fastest time in Q2 with 1:14.980 but could not replicate that performance in Q3. Piastri noted the wind changes as a crucial factor, stating, “The wind changed a lot… It really seemed to punish us in a bigger way.”
Strong Showings from Rivals
In addition to the top three, George Russell secured fourth place for Mercedes, while Fernando Alonso matched his season-best qualifying performance by starting fifth for Aston Martin. His teammate, Lance Stroll, will begin the race from sixth, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber in seventh.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen faced difficulties with his Red Bull, ending up in eighth position. His teammates Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar completed the top ten. Notably, Oliver Bearman from Haas narrowly missed a spot in Q3, finishing eleventh after falling short by just 0.007 seconds.
Hamilton, who has had a challenging season, will start twelfth, just 0.008 seconds behind Bearman. Andrea Kimi Antonelli also contended for a Q3 spot but was disqualified for exceeding track limits, resulting in a fifteenth-place start.
As the race approaches, the stage is set for an exciting contest, with Leclerc aiming to capitalize on his unexpected pole position against formidable rivals. The Hungarian Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling spectacle for fans and teams alike.
