Qualifying Highlights | Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2024

Qualifying Highlights | Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2024

The tension was palpable at the Hungarian Grand Prix 2024 as all 20 cars hit the track in anticipation of looming rain, complicating the already tricky qualifying conditions.

Oscar Piastri set a blistering lap time early in Q1, leading the pack with a mid-1:17, a half-second clear of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Carlos Sainz followed closely, setting the fastest overall time before the rain began to intensify, hampering everyone's prospects for improvement. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell found themselves amidst a fierce battle to avoid elimination, with both working hard to climb out of the bottom five.

Hamilton managed to cross the line and go quickest, dropping Daniel Ricciardo into the danger zone alongside several others, including Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas. During this critical period, Sergio Perez made a costly error, sliding into the barriers at Turn 8.

The track conditions remained treacherous with intermittent rain, creating drama in every lap. Hamilton narrowly escaped elimination, thanks in part to smart tire management and timely lap executions. Meanwhile, George Russell wasn't as fortunate, exiting in Q1 despite being a former pole sitter at this circuit.

Lewis Hamilton faced another challenging session in Q2. An enthralling battle unfolded as Lando Norris consistently outpaced rivals on used tires, while Oscar Piastri continued to impress with a series of strong laps.

Norris snagged provisional pole early in Q3, and as other drivers completed their rounds, it became clear that his time was hard to beat. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz made valiant attempts but couldn't dethrone Norris. As the final minutes ticked away, Yuki Tsunoda caused a red flag, clinching pole for Norris amidst the chaos.

Despite adverse conditions and multiple safety car deployments, Norris' sensational lap time secured him pole position, making it his third career pole and marking McLaren's first front-row lockout in recent memory. Daniel Ricciardo provided a morale boost for the team by improving his time for a spot just behind Tsunoda.

Lando Norris decisively claimed pole, backed by an impressive team effort from McLaren, who locked out the front row. This performance reinforces McLaren’s promising developments this season and places them in a firm position heading into race day.

Keywords

• Hungarian Grand Prix 2024
• Oscar Piastri
• Lando Norris
• Carlos Sainz
• Lewis Hamilton
• George Russell
• Sergio Perez
• McLaren
• Max Verstappen
• Yuki Tsunoda
• Red flag
• Qualifying session
• Pole position

FAQ

Q: Who took pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix 2024? A: Lando Norris of McLaren secured pole position.

Q: How many times has Lando Norris taken pole in his career? A: This was Lando Norris' third career pole.

Q: What condition complicated the Hungarian Grand Prix 2024 qualifying session? A: Intermittent rain and unpredictable weather conditions added complexity to the session.

Q: Which driver caused the red flag during Q3? A: Yuki Tsunoda caused the red flag by crashing at Turn 5.

Q: How did McLaren perform during the qualifying? A: McLaren locked out the front row with Lando Norris on pole and Oscar Piastri qualifying second.

Q: Who were the notable drivers that struggled in qualifying? A: Sergio Perez, who crashed and failed to progress, and George Russell, who was eliminated in Q1.