The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session delivered a surprising shake-up at the technical and twisty Hungaroring circuit. With scorching temperatures and high track evolution throughout the session, drivers were challenged to find the perfect balance between grip and precision. After McLaren dominated all three practice sessions, most expected them to secure pole position—but Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had other plans. Here’s a detailed breakdown of an exciting qualifying day in Budapest.
Oscar Piastri continued McLaren’s dominance by topping the final practice session (FP3) with a lap time of 1:14.916, narrowly ahead—by just 0.032 seconds—of teammate Lando Norris, setting the tone for qualifying later in the day. Earlier in the weekend, Norris had led both Free Practice 1 and 2, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc close behind in third, all under sunny, hot conditions typical of the Hungaroring.
In Q1, five big names were surprisingly knocked out: Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, Haas’s Ollie Bearman, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, and Williams driver Franco Colapinto. All of them struggled to extract pace on a rapidly improving track. Their exits opened the door for some midfield surprises to progress into Q2 and fight for top 10 grid spots.
Q2 saw the frontrunners drop under the 1:15 mark, with both McLaren drivers looking strong and Max Verstappen showing glimpses of pace. However, the real drama arrived in Q3, where Leclerc pulled off a stunning lap of 1:15.372—his first pole of the season—to deny McLaren what looked like a certain front-row lockout. Piastri ended up second, and Norris third, missing the top spot by a fraction after dominating all weekend.
Behind the leading trio, George Russell impressed by putting his Mercedes in fourth position, while Fernando Alonso showed flashes of brilliance in the Aston Martin to take fifth on the grid. Lance Stroll backed that up with a solid sixth. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen had a frustrating session, only managing ninth, while Hamilton didn’t even make it out of Q1—adding to a tough Saturday for Ferrari’s secondary hopes.
With this result, Leclerc broke McLaren’s stranglehold on pace in Hungary and claimed a morale-boosting pole before the summer break. The top five for Sunday’s race will be Leclerc, Piastri, Norris, Russell, and Alonso—offering a mix of Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin at the front. All signs point to a tense and closely fought Grand Prix at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, and strategy could be key to success.
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