The place Leclerc discovered his Hungary F1 pole benefit, and the place McLaren misplaced its tempo

If anybody was to profess to anticipating something aside from McLaren domination in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, then they're merely telling porkies; Charles Leclerc was fully blindsided by the revelation he'd secured his first Components 1 pole of the yr. He was fairly content material in his intention to get a clear lap banked, because the drivers felt a perceptible shift in wind course; because it turned out, his 1m15.372s was adequate to do the job.

Certain, it was a terrific lap in ever-changing circumstances, however his pole additionally got here as McLaren's tempo from Q2, which dipped beneath the 1m15s barrier and into the realms of the 1m14s, evaporated into the Hungarian winds. 

The primary clue that one thing was really awry was McLaren's opening runs on contemporary softs falling into the 1m15.4s, though the truth that the Oscar Piastri/Lando Norris duo nonetheless remained on high after the opening excursions urged that there was extra to come back. But it surely did not; the larger clue emerged when neither driver improved on their first sector occasions throughout the second makes an attempt.

Norris improved barely on his second lap, which upgraded a web fifth into third, however Piastri went slower. Leclerc was audibly stunned as soon as knowledgeable that he had the field seats for Sunday's race.

By trying on the GPS knowledge, we are able to decide the place Leclerc discovered the time towards Piastri – and there is appreciable distinction right here. That's as a result of it's the championship chief's first lap of the session and Piastri approaches the braking zones and throttle inputs very in another way, as he isn't but conscious of the place the wind has moved. He took much more margin along with his braking on the second try, which resulted in a slower lap.

Within the first sector, it is all about Leclerc's pace on the straights; he is 7kph quicker earlier than the braking zone into Flip 1, and 10kph quicker on the entry into Flip 4. That is, for need of a greater technical time period, unusual; Leclerc had a small straightline pace profit of their respective Q2 laps, however nothing to the identical magnitude right here at 2kph and 4kph into Turns 1 and 4.

In these Q2 laps, the McLaren's engine speeds are working at about the identical degree throughout Turns 3 and 4, however Piastri is down into Flip 1 as he makes the shift as much as eighth a lot later, so he is about 500rpm down on his Q2 finest right here. Maybe the only clarification is that Ferrari misplaced much less time within the headwind into Flip 1 versus the McLaren.

Piastri finds virtually two tenths on Leclerc within the uphill Flip 5, and maintains a bonus by the technical a part of the lap as he is a bit extra direct on the throttle journey and utilizing much less brake, whereas Leclerc retains the throttle in just a little bit extra and course-corrects with the brake reasonably than a full raise. However this helps Leclerc out of Flip 9, as he brakes a contact sooner than Piastri and thus will get the drive out of the nook.

With the momentum down the hill, Leclerc converts it into a bonus on the finish of the sector as soon as extra; Leclerc's downshift to fourth, although Flip 8 once more helps to maintain the engine accelerates; Piastri downshifts later for Flip 9 as he comes off the throttle extra, however that is on the expense of drive out of the nook.

The hole is over a tenth in Leclerc's favour within the braking zone for Flip 12, though Piastri finds a few hundredth on the Ferrari driver right here by once more utilizing much less brake. But it surely's the Australian who makes use of extra for Flip 13; and he is needed to be much less cautious on the throttle in consequence; now, he is monitoring at a scant 0.01s quicker than Leclerc.

All of it culminates within the last nook exit. That is the place Leclerc's longer-braking, however maintaining a contact of throttle on method yields the higher exit – on the entry to Flip 14, the drivers expertise a tailwind and thus should work tougher to bleed pace out of the automotive, however then want the acceleration to get a jumpstart on the next headwind into Flip 1. That is the place Leclerc's earlier sighter lap rewarded him with the information, whereas Piastri could not fairly get the components proper within the extra wind-affected areas.

The place McLaren misplaced the time from Q2 to Q3

Piastri was bordering on half-a-second slower in his finest Q3 lap versus his Q2 tempo, and the headwind price him a peak of 10kph into the braking zone for Flip 1. Thus, there is a tailwind out of the nook; it does not assist Piastri down the straight per se, however it does give him just a little push by Flip 2 and means he is simply 0.045s off his Q2 lap.

McLaren naturally possessed much less tempo by sector one, maybe searching for to maintain the tyres in for the second half of the lap. There are, nonetheless, clear moments the place Piastri is faster in his Q3 lap by the second sector, significantly by Flip 5 and thru the next chicane.

However the lap tails off from right here, because the automotive is far much less prepared to go on-throttle and he is chasing the rear finish at this level, making an attempt late stabs on the brakes to stabilise.

What you then see is a reasonably linear lack of time by the lap because the wind upsets the steadiness, and the necessity to take the ultimate nook with about 10kph much less through-corner pace is the ultimate kicker as he has to brake for longer to maintain the rear steady.