“What?! Hahaha, Mamma Mia!” – Charles Leclerc could not believe it himself when he was given on the radio “P1”. In a crazy time training, which was characterized by changing conditions, the Ferrari driver prevailed completely surprisingly against the favorite McLaren in the last attempt.
He couldn’t really understand it in the press conference after qualifying: “Today I really don’t understand anything in Formula 1. From the beginning to almost very at the end, the whole time training just felt bad. It was extremely difficult. We had problems getting into Q2 at all, and then again in Q3.”
In fact, Ferrari was on the brink for a long time on Saturday: in Q2 Leclerc, a driving error in curve 4, which almost meant it. He saved himself in the Q3 by two tenths of a second. In contrast, teammate Lewis Hamilton failed at the hurdle, who then questioned himself like never before.
“To be honest, I thought we didn’t even make it into the top 5,” said Leclerc. The fact that in the end it was enough to go to the best starting place was due to a strong final round of Leclerc, but also changing external conditions with which the competition caught a worse manner.
Conditions change, Leclerc strikes
The Hungaroring presented itself in the course of qualifying: While Q1 still took place in sunshine and warm temperatures, first clouds moved into Q2 – accompanied by light drizzle. The route noticeably cooled down, the grip changed drastically.
“I was on the road with relatively little downforce,” said Leclerc. “When it started to dribble, I just hoped that it would not stay that way – and luckily it got drier again. In Q3 everything was different. I knew that if I just drive a clean round, there may be third place.”
The wind blew from a different direction and suddenly McLaren was more than half a second slower than in Q2. Aston Martin was also slower than in the first two segments. Leclerc, on the other hand, improved by 0.083 seconds to 1: 15,372 minutes. That was 0.482 seconds slower than the 1: 14,890 by Lando Norris in Q2 and 0.161 seconds slower than Oscar Piatris Q1 best time, but it was still.
Leclerc’s first Pole since Baku 2024 was not only a sporty coup – it was also a personal satisfaction. Because the Hungaroring has so far been more of Leclerc’s problem route.
“I said on Thursday that I never get along here. The pace was never there, I never had the right feeling,” said the Ferrari star. “The fact that I am on Pole here today is probably the most surprising qualifying performance of my career.”
Update shows effect: more trust in the border area
The Ferrari update, which was already introduced in Spa, played a central role. Among other things, it includes a modified rear wheel suspension, which is primarily intended to stabilize driving behavior in qualifying. And it seems to work.
“At the beginning of the season, I had to coordinate the car extremely sharply to get to the top in qualifying,” explains Leclerc. “This made it extremely difficult to drive, and when I crossed the limit, I immediately lost everything. Now the car is more predictable. I can go closer to the limit – and when I’m over it, the price is no longer so high.”
That was crucial, especially in the last attempt in Q3: “I thought the bad feeling was on the first run on used tires – so I just took full risk in the second run. It didn’t feel good, but in the end it was a really strong round.”
Team boss Frederic Vasseur adds: “Somehow Charles found a way to bring the tires into the right window on the outlap. It was a Megar round and a positive performance – especially if you look at the distance between first and ten.”
In fact, the top 10 in Hungary with 0.543 seconds were as close together as never before in Formula 1 history. The previous record was 0.577 seconds, jointly set up by Brazil 2003 and Hungary 2023.
The next test: start phase and racing pace
However, a sure -fire success does not become the race – Leclerc is aware of this. The first curve is particularly crucial on tight hungaroring. “The start will be the key,” he says. “If I stay in front, I can control the race. But I have no idea how it will go. In any case, I will give everything to keep first.” But even then McLaren should try to turn the sheet via undercuts or overcuts at the pit stops.
In addition, the weather could also become a factor. Unstable weather is announced for Sunday with increased probability of rain. The location would be unpredictable on Nasser route. “We still don’t know exactly whether the new car [gemeint ist das Spa-Update] Also brings advantages in the rain, “says Leclerc,” But at least in the dry we took a step. “
For Ferrari, the Pole is an urgently needed sense of achievement in a so far mixed season. Already in Spa it was indicated that the new parts had potential, now the first tangible document was followed. “The team worked hard,” says Leclerc. “A lot has been brought in the past few weeks. This is now the reward.”
Nevertheless, he does not want to overestimate success. “I have already said in Spa: We have to judge across several races whether we really took a step. But today is definitely a positive sign.”