Lawson Qualifies Ninth as Leclerc Seizes Hungarian Pole

Kiwi F1 hopeful Liam Lawson has secured another top‑10 start, qualifying ninth for the Hungarian Grand Prix — once again reinforcing his case for a full‑time Red Bull Racing seat in 2026.

The Racing Bulls driver posted a lap time of 1:15.821, just under half a second shy of pole, and ahead of his teammate Isack Hadjar. It’s Lawson’s third Q3 appearance in succession and another sign of consistency as he beds in with the RB team mid-season.

“It’s good to be in Q3, particularly given it’s been quite a difficult weekend so far, so it was a great recovery,” Lawson said after the session.
“The conditions changed a bit through Quali, so it’s a shame we missed out on a couple of spots. Qualifying is important here and the car has been very good recently, particularly with our pace in the long runs.
It’s very close at the moment and difficult to overtake here, so the aim is of course to have a strong start, look after the tyres and stay in the points tomorrow.”

Up front, it was Charles Leclerc who delivered a surprise result, taking pole position with a stunning 1:15.372 lap around the twisty Hungaroring circuit. The Ferrari driver edged out McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by just 0.041 seconds in one of the tightest qualifying sessions of the year.

“I did not expect that at all,” Leclerc said. “But the car came alive in Q3, and I managed to put everything together.”

The pole marks Leclerc’s third of the season and comes at a crucial point in the title fight, with Ferrari needing a strong result before the summer break.

McLarens Close Behind, Kiwi in the Mix

McLaren had dominated practice and early qualifying, but Leclerc’s final run came at just the right time. Piastri was second fastest with a 1:15.398, while Norris lines up third at 1:15.413 — both within striking distance for Sunday’s race.

Behind them, George Russell (Mercedes) and both Aston Martins — Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll — line up fifth and sixth, ahead of Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who impressed in seventh.

Max Verstappen, struggling to find the ideal balance in his Red Bull, qualified eighth. Lawson slots in right behind, comfortably within the points-paying positions and aiming to convert that into another top-10 finish.

Full Starting Grid – Hungarian Grand Prix