Lando Norris took the 2024 Hungarian GP Pole ahead of Oscar Piastri (+0.022) and Max Verstappen (+0.046). This marked Briton’s 2nd pole position of the season and third overall.
The top 5 were rounded by Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.
Ahead of the Qualifying session for the 2024 Hungarian GP, the tarmac of Hungaroring dried out rapidly enabling teams to eliminate the factor of using Intermediates throughout the qualifying.
Saturday’s Qualifying at Hungaroring was marked by two red flags.
Another ‘career-threatening’ crash of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez caused a first red flag in the first part of the qualifying. A second red flag was caused with just 2 minutes to go by RB’s Yuki Tsunoda who had a massive shunt in turn 5.
Red flag extends Hungarian GP Qualifying Session 1
Drivers headed out on red-branded soft tires as the standard procedure is during dry track conditions for the sessions that are about to set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The short-term yellow flag was caused by Williams’ Logan Sargenat after an American driver misjudged the braking point into turn 1 and gently slammed into the barrier.
The early Q1 pace was set by the last Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton. Briton’s W13’s well-known characteristic is performance under cooler-track conditions.
Halfway into the first part of the session, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez lost control of his RB20 at the slippery kerb at the entry of turn 8.
Mexican’s car slid into the barriers sideways causing terminal damage to the car’s rear wing and possible internal components of the car after slight smoke was seen in the aftermath.
Minor patches of rain during the session’s pause cleared away the track surface and made a difficult work for the drivers in the elimination zone to quickly heat up the tires.
RB’s Daniel Ricciardo took the Q1 lead away from Lewis Hamilton with a lap fastest by 0.037 seconds.
George Russell was unable to heat tires and improve on existing lap time ultimately facing a shocking elimination after Haas, RB, Williams drivers progressed through with improved lap times.
Perez, Russell, Zhou, and both Alpines of Ocon and Gasly faced an early exit from the Hungarian GP Qualifying.
Hungarian GP Qualifying Session 2
Max Verstappen set an initial pace in Q2 with a lap time of 1:15.770 ahead of Piastri with an almost non-existent gap of 15 thousand of a second. Norris and Hamilton underperformed in their first Q2 outing setting up 5th and 8th best time respectively.
A relatively calm Q2 session seems to be consisting of only 2 flying laps per driver thus lack of action persists.
Ultimately Lando Norris pipes down Max Verstappen for the Q2 victory with a lap of 1:15.540.
Hamilton barely avoids Q2 exit after Haas’ Hülkenberg takes 11th for 1 hundred of a second.
Besides the aforementioned Hülkenberg, Bottas, Albon, Sargeant and Magnussen are out of Q2.
Verstappen vs. McLarens stands out as a battle for the pole as the rain lurks
Amid shocking exits at Q1 and paces set at Q2, a slightly interesting roster of Q3 drivers is battling out for the Hungarian GP pole position.
Both Aston Martin’s and RB’s join the traditional quickest drivers on 2024 Saturdays.
Drivers were notified that the second run of the Q3 might be affected by the rain, hence drivers hurried up out on track to set a valid lap.
Max Verstappen goes fastest with 1:15.555 ahead of Piastri and Leclerc but is soon dispatched by McLaren’s flying Lando Norris who goes almost 3 and a half tenths quicker than Red Bull’s Verstappen.
The rain did not seem to come around instantly thus enabling drivers to set another flying lap on the softest compound.
Track evolution is in full effect with Piastri leaps over Verstappen to snatch 2nd place. Verstappen is unable to improve as the 2nd red flag appears.
RB’s Yuki Tsunoda causes a late red flag after a massive shunt at the exit of turn 5 when his car ‘flew’ against barriers.
After a quick track clearance, the session restarted but no drivers improved on their lap time marking McLaren’s first front-row lockout since the Brazilian GP in 2012.