The Japan Times - Leclerc ends Ferrari barren run with stunning pole ahead of McLarens

The 27-year-old Monegasque went late in the final minutes of a closely-contested session to clock a best lap in one minute and 15.372 seconds in changing conditions, leaving his rivals frustrated as they failed to improve on their first run times.

"I definitely didn't expect that and honestly I just don't have any words for this. It's one of my best poles and the most unexpected," said Leclerc.

He took pole by 0.026 seconds ahead of series leader Oscar Piastri and by 0.041sec ahead of the Australian's McLaren team-mate and title rival Lando Norris, with George Russell 0.053sec adrift in a breathtakingly close finish.

It was Leclerc's first pole of the year, his first in Budapest and the 27th of his career. It was Ferrari's first pole in Hungary since Sebastian Vettel in 2017.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fifth ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll, the pair enjoying their best qualifying of the season, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto seventh ahead of Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen and the two Racing Bulls rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar.

"Wow, whooaw!, Mama Mia!" exclaimed Leclerc, who had on Thursday described the Hungaroring as his worst track of the season.

"Today, I don't understand anything about F1. The whole of qualifying has been so extremely difficult – and I am not exaggerating," he said.

Piastri blamed a change of wind direction.

"It basically did a 180 degrees from Q1 to Q3. It always seems pathetic, blaming the wind."

The Q1 segment began with clouds looming in a sunny sky and hot conditions with temperatures of 31 degrees (air) and 52 (track), falling as it became more overcast.

The Williams duo were first out on softs, Alex Albon clocking 1:17.441 to set the pace.

- Hamilton frustrated -

Carlos Sainz locked up and returned to the pits as McLaren and Red Bull joined the action, Piastri dipping his left wheels into the gravel at Turn 12 as he went top, three-tenths clear of Norris and Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari.

Verstappen was only 13th after the opening runs with Yuki Tsunoda 17th, clear confirmation of Red Bull's struggle for balance and pace while Aston Martin went late, as the track temperature fell 10 degrees, and Alonso went top in 1:15.281.

The cooler track brought sharp improvements in a late reshuffle that saw Piastri top in 1:15.211 ahead of Alonso and Racing Bulls' rookie Isack Hadjar. Hamilton was 10th and Verstappen 11th.

Tsunoda led the five eliminated ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon of Haas, Sauber's Nico Hulkeberg and Alex Albon of Williams.

Rain began to fall at Turn Six, sending anxiety up the pit lane as they queued to start Q2. Alonso set the pace before Norris clocked 1:14.890 to go top, with Piastri second, the pair separated by 0.05.

The first run left Leclerc 10th and Hamilton 11th, with work to do. Verstappen was eighth as the rain stopped ahead of the final runs and he stayed there, six-tents adrift, while Leclerc secured his passage to Q3 in sixth.

Hamilton exited in 12th, his worst-ever qualifying position at the Hungaroring where he has claimed a record nine poles, along with Oliver Bearman of Haas, Sainz, Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Mercedes' rookie Kimi Antonelli.

It was cooler still as Q3 began as the McLarens dominated with Piastri ahead of Norris by 0.096 and Russell third while Stroll had his lap deleted for exceeding track limits.

Stroll and Alonso went early for their final runs, slotting in fourth and second, the Spaniard just 0.083 behind Piastri's first run before Leclerc snatched pole in the final seconds with his beautifully-judged late lap.

M.Yamazaki--JT