Image Credit: “Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari Emilia Romagna GP” by Roberto Monti, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Budapest, August 2, 2025 – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc delivered a stunning qualifying performance on Saturday to claim pole position for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a dramatic session at the Hungaroring.
With an impressive lap time of 1:15.942, Leclerc secured his third pole position of the 2025 season, giving Ferrari a timely lead after several inconsistent race weekends. The Monegasque driver looked composed throughout the session and delivered when it mattered most in Q3, taking advantage of the warm track conditions and near-perfect grip levels.
“The car felt great today, and we really maximized everything,” Leclerc said after the session. “This track demands precision, and I was able to put together a clean lap when it counted. Hopefully, we can convert this into a win tomorrow.”
Verstappen Close Behind
Championship leader Max Verstappen will start alongside Leclerc on the front row, having narrowly missed pole by just 0.083 seconds. Despite a strong pace in Q1 and Q2, Verstappen couldn’t quite find the extra edge in the final shootout.
“We were close, but just didn’t nail the final sector,” Verstappen noted. “Still, it’s a solid place to start from and we’ve got the race pace to fight.”
Mercedes Shows Improvement
George Russell impressed with a strong third-place qualifying for Mercedes, just two-tenths off Leclerc’s time, while teammate Lewis Hamilton secured P5, splitting the McLaren duo of Lando Norris (P4) and Oscar Piastri (P6).
The result marks a clear sign of progress for Mercedes, which has struggled with consistency through the first half of the season.
Full Qualifying Top 10:
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:15.942
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.083
- George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.201
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.286
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – +0.392
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.403
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Ferrari Eyes Redemption on Race Day
Leclerc’s pole position puts Ferrari in a prime position to challenge Red Bull’s dominance, particularly on a technical circuit like the Hungaroring, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. With tire strategy, pit stops, and track position set to play crucial roles, Sunday’s race promises to be a closely fought battle.
The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix will go lights out at 3:00 PM local time on Sunday, with weather conditions expected to be warm and dry.
Stay tuned for full race coverage and post-race analysis.
