Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu says he's going to try and take on the Red Bulls at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix, though admits staying in front ...
Of course, Red Bull have a bigger pace advantage but I think lap one is about gaining as much position as possible and then managing my race because their pace in the race realistically will be much stronger so let’s see if we can get them on the start.” “I will try to gain position. Certainly, you can expect the Dutchman and Mexican to climb the field this afternoon, even if the Hungaroring is a difficult place to overtake, but at the start anything can happen and Zhou is looking forward to battling it out with them on the long run down from the start into turn one.
After rain impacted proceedings at the Hungaroring on Saturday, could showers also play a role in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix?
As it stands, Sunday's 70-lap Hungarian GP looks set to take place in dry conditions, with a threat of rain early in the day gradually passing. After a baking hot first day of action, thundery showers hit the Hungaroring circuit ahead of Saturday's third and final practice session, with the track soaked. F1 drivers are set to take part in a dry Hungarian Grand Prix, with the wet weather seen on Saturday making way for largely clear and dry conditions.
Lando Norris admitted that he "wasn't expecting" to finish the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying in fourth place. Norris kept up the momentum...
So, I’m very happy with a lot of things.” “I’m very happy with the fourth. “I guess maybe surprised with George to be so quick, but as soon as they went out in Q1, and they did their laps they looked fast.
Lando Norris says the pole position earned by George Russell and the Mercedes Formula 1 team was not a surprise, because the W13 has been a strong car for ...
“Then of course it will be important, because that's our main competitor for this P4, to stay ahead of the Alpine cars. “And then Verstappen and Perez, who are much quicker cars, so it'll be a tough race. It was still a very strong lap. So yeah, a bit frustrating, because I thought after yesterday, we might have had a chance. “George did a very good job today. “I had a big, big snap out of turn five.
Pirelli arrived at the Hungaroring with the C2, C3 and C4 tyre range, with the Softest C4 compound in use during Saturday's qualifying session that saw Mercedes ...
“But a two-stopper is also a good option, very close to a one-stopper in terms of overall time. “Most drivers will probably stop only once, in order to safeguard track position. The obvious two-stopper would be soft-medium-medium, but soft-medium-soft is another interesting option – with the cars much lighter towards the end of the race.”
The final Formula One race before the 2022 summer break takes place this afternoon with Budapest hosting the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Who is on pole for the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix What time is the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix? When is the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix?
On Sunday the Hungarian Grand Prix is on the programme. After a wet Saturday morning, it remains to be seen if it will stay dry during the race.
It is therefore possible that we will see light rain at the start of the race, as this starts at 15:00 local time as well. The Sunday morning in Hungary is wet. On Sunday the Hungarian Grand Prix is on the programme.
Max Verstappen believes his Hungarian Grand Prix will be “a bit tough” from 10th on the grid, but hopes Mercedes “do me a favour” against Formula 1 title ...
“I was looking forward to Q3, then of course the first lap didn’t go to plan. Then I knew the pace of the car is there. “We made some really positive changes, the car was a lot better to drive for me.
Updates from the Hungaroring in Budapest as Mercedes George Russell starts on pole for the first time, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, with Max ...
Red Bull has fitted fresh power units on Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's cars for Formula 1's Hungarian Grand Prix, with Pierre Gasly starting from the ...
As this is outside of his allowance on several components, this means he will have to take a grid penalty. However, it is likely that at some point in the second half of the campaign they will need to swap for another engine, which will probably trigger a grid penalty. Verstappen did make it through to Q3 but found his chances of fighting for pole wrecked when he suffered an unexpected power loss on his final Q3 run, and he therefore dropped to 10th.
LEWIS HAMILTON and Max Verstappen both suffered issues in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He explained: “Max felt a lot more comfortable with the balance of the car today and I think we were in with a shot of the pole. But his chances unravelled in dramatic fashion in the final part of qualifying which means the Red Bull star will start tenth. F1 fans were stunned by the statistic but some stressed the order would have been different without a range of failures.
Pierre Gasly will start the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix from the pit lane, after taking a new power unit aboard his AlphaTauri AT03 – but having done so ...
And the Frenchman will be set for a long afternoon’s work at the famously hard-to-overtake-at Hungaroring. Gasly to start Hungarian Grand Prix from pit lane as Red Bull drivers take on new power units But while Gasly’s changes would ordinarily require a back-of-the-grid start, according to the stewards: “All the PU components for Pierre Gasly have been replaced without the approval of the FIA technical delegate and this is not in accordance with Article 40.3 of the 2022 Formula One Sporting Regulations. Therefore car number 10 should now be required to start the Race from the pit lane according to Article 40.9 b) of the 2022 Formula One Sporting Regulations.”
Both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have taken new power units for the Hungarian Grand Prix but they will escape grid penalties as neither are over the ...
Both drivers will be looking to surge through the field at the Hungaroring this afternoon, then, and they have been given the boost of fresh power units in order to do so. The Red Bulls are rather out of position this afternoon at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen lining up in 10th place and Sergio Perez set to launch from 11th. Both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have taken new power units for the Hungarian Grand Prix but they will escape grid penalties as neither are over the limit in terms of components they are allowed to use.
How to watch the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix from where you are in the world – plus all the best free F1 streams, expert analysis, qualifying news and more.
Singapore Grand Prix Azerbaijan Grand Prix Miami Grand Prix Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Bahrain Grand Prix Monaco Grand Prix DAZN (opens in new tab) has the rights to show Formula 1, including the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix, in Spain until the end of 2023. For the Hungarian Grand Prix, you may wish to choose 'Luxembourg' for RTL Zwee or 'Austria' for Servus. Austrian fans can watch today's 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix for free, but will need to use VPN to access the live stream (opens in new tab) if they're abroad this week. Follow our guide below to watch a Hungarian Grand Prix free live stream from abroad. Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. It's lights out for the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix today, Sunday 31st July, at 2pm BST.
Max Verstappen qualified 10th for the Hungarian Grand Prix whereas, his teammate Sergio Perez failed to get into Q3 and is set to start from the 11th ...
However, Red Bull’s Motorsport Advisor, Helmut Marko is hopeful that the problem wasn’t regarding one of the core power unit parts and hence feels that no penalty is forthcoming. But we actually had a really quick car today and you have to maximize it and be up there. The engine was running but there was no release, and that, of course, is painful.
Lap-by-lap updates on the action at the Hungaroring, the last race before the summer break. Join John Brewin.
- 20. Pierre Gasly will start in the pit lane. “Why I wake up every single day because feelings like this are something you can’t really dream of.” While Russell, the 24-year-old who is always careful to keep a tight rein on his emotions, was lit up with pleasure. Masi quit F1 last month to return home to Australia, and has now revealed the scale of abuse he has received. - 20. - 12. - 11. - 10. Having the two Ferrari’s around us means they can do as they please but I’m just going to be going as fast as I can. Here come the variables. Pierre Gasly drags from the pit lane, and there’s a virtual safety as Alex Albon hit Lance Stroll. Russell held Sainz off with a very defensive move, and now he must defend further.
Leclerc leads the Hungarian Grand Prix! Leclerc takes the lead from Russell blasting past the Mercedes man from around the outside of turn 1. Leclerc.
With Red Bull starting 10th and 11th, could this be a chance for them to close the gap on their title rivals? We will have to wait and see if this affects the race start at Hungaroring Perez has gone past Ocon, with the Mexican likely to close in on the trio. The drivers start the formation lap with both Red Bull drivers getting awat slowly. Could today be the inflection point Mercedes needs to get their season back on track? There are just a few minutes to the start now. Russell comes out in front of Sainz after the first round of pit stops, with both drivers suffering from lethargic stops. As Leclerc pulls away at the front of the pack, his teammate Sainz closes the gap to Russell and is now within DRS range. Leclerc now pulls away, with the Ferrari driver looking the favorite for the race win today. Eventually Russell manages to hold his advantage but things look ominious for the Mercedes driver. In what was a mirror Russell finds his way past Leclerc around the outside of Leclerc going into Turn 1. Is the rain starting to come or was it just a coincidence?
Another victory last weekend at France's Circuit Paul Ricard for Red Bull's Max Verstappen saw the reigning Formula One world champion extend his healthy ...
45 minutes to lights out: So it's Russell from the front today for the first time and he may be aided by the weather this afternoon as he goes for his maiden race win. Lap 29: Russell and Leclerc are locked in an enthralling battle for the lead of this race. Leclerc comes out of the pits on hard tyres much to everyones surprise and he's struggling to warm them up. After some staunch defence, Leclerc finally darts past Russell on the start/finish straight to move up into P1 in this race. Lap 49: Sainz is into the pits but it's a slow stop. Lap 56: Russell dives past Leclerc to take P2 and Ferrari respond by pitting Leclerc. Staggering stuff from the Italian team who seem to be in strategy disarray of late. Lap 61: Sainz is struggling with his traction out there and Hamilton is very close to getting DRS on the Ferrari driver. It seems inevitable that the Brit will past him to get back up into P3 as Ferrari seem to have pulled another strategy blunder with Leclerc. He could honestly win this race still as Verstappen has much older tyres on and will need to nurse them towards the end. Lap 68: The virtual safety car is back out as Bottas is forced to retire from this race with only two laps remaining. Lap 65: Hamilton is up into P2! It seems like Mercedes don't want to make the call so they allow their drivers to fight for position. Mercedes pair Hamilton and Russell complete the podium places as Ferrari fail to inspire yet again with some poor strategy calls.
Max Verstappen scored an unlikely Formula 1 victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix to head both Mercedes as Ferrari threw away a win with further questionable ...
- - - - - - - - - But Leclerc was given a second chance, despite blasting the state of the tyres. Then on lap 31, Leclerc made it stick. As the lap counter hit the high teens, Leclerc's pace was declining.
Max Verstappen won the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix from P10 with pitch-perfect execution of Red Bull's strategy, while Lewis Hamilton finished second ahead of ...
Russell soon found himself in the clutches of his team mate and now we had an intra-team battle for P2 at Mercedes, Hamilton getting a better exit from Turn 1 on Lap 65 and prying the place away – team boss Toto Wolff watching on from the Mercedes garage. Russell was right on the diffuser of Leclerc’s Ferrari in the fight for P3, and on Lap 54 he made the move for P2 with ease around the outside of Turn 1. At the penultimate corner, a puff of smoke signalled that all was not right as Verstappen got on the throttle and spun 360 degrees, putting him back behind Leclerc and allowing Russell a chance to overtake Verstappen at Turn 1. It was then that Verstappen broke the seal and went for an aggressive undercut strategy by pitting for another set of mediums, Leclerc reacting to pit for hards on Lap 40 and Russell changing to mediums a few seconds later. Hamilton decided to pit at the end of that tour, diving in for a set of softs and emerging fifth ahead of Perez. Sainz chose to take his second stop on Lap 48 for softs, but the tyre change was slow and saw him emerge fifth ahead of Perez – who had stopped five laps prior. Russell’s lead over Leclerc was dropping as the Monegasque driver turned up the pace and on Lap 27 the Ferrari was in DRS range of the Mercedes, having a look but declining not to pass into Turn 1. They say that when it rains, it pours, and Russell now had Sainz and Verstappen catching up to his rear wing – while numerous drivers began to report drizzle on their visors at the halfway mark. The lights went out to end the feverous anticipation, Russell holding off a charging Sainz, who tried to pry the lead around the outside of Turn 1 while Hamilton cleared the Alpines – Fernando Alonso baulking at Esteban Ocon squeezing him at Turn 1 – to go into fifth, Verstappen up to eighth and Perez ninth after Lap 1. Sainz took his stop on Lap 17 but it wasn’t ideal either and he was released between the Alpines in P6, with Alonso and Verstappen behind him. Russell led on soft tyres and pitted on Lap 15, soft-shod Verstappen pitting from P5 a lap later to force Carlos Sainz to pit from the lead. Alonso exclaimed that he was “much faster” than Ocon but on Lap 5 the two-time champion ran wide at Turn 3 and Verstappen swept by for P7.
Max Verstappen took victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix after working his way up from 10th on the grid. Check out the complete race results from the ...
The full results from the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP can be seen below: Max Verstappen made his way through from 10th on the grid to take victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Dutchman twice used the undercut to make up places after his pit-stops to take his 28th career victory.
Max Verstappen produced a stunning comeback drive from 10th on the grid to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and extend his title lead over Charles Leclerc, ...
The race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps kickstarts a European triple header with Zandvoort and Monza. Visit skysports.com or the Sky Sports App for all the breaking sports news headlines. Watch live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, F1, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Rugby League, Rugby Union, NFL, Darts, Netball and get the latest transfers news, results, scores and more.
Updates from the Hungaroring in Budapest as Mercedes George Russell starts on pole for the first time, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, ...
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a frantic Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring on Sunday, charging to victory from 10th on the grid and aided by Ferrari's ...
Car / Engine km/h Williams/Mercedes McLaren/Mercedes Williams/Mercedes But he was 10s behind Verstappen, who remained out of reach. The recovering Verstappen repassed sitting duck Leclerc on Lap 45, who then slipped back into a fight for second with Russell. Leclerc had no pace on the hard tyre, allowing Verstappen to zoom past him into Turn 1. Leader Leclerc also stopped, taking the hard tyre for the planned final stint as it was too early to take softs. Verstappen too stopped at this point to try and undercut past Hamilton. Russell held his pole advantage on the run to Turn 1, where Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz attacked him around the outside but slotted into second. Leclerc grabbed the lead with a fantastic outbraking move around the outside of Turn 1.
Max Verstappen scored an unlikely Formula 1 victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix to head both Mercedes as Ferrari threw away a win with further questionable ...
But Leclerc was given a second chance, despite blasting the state of the tyres. As the lap counter hit the high teens, Leclerc’s pace was declining. Then on lap 31, Leclerc made it stick. Hamilton finally made his second stop on the end of lap 51 for a switch to softs and came out in fifth, 10s down on Sainz as Russell usurped Leclerc – still struggling on the hard tyres. The Mercedes were the next fastest cars in the final phase of the race, with soft-shod Hamilton able to depose Sainz on older tyres and then team-mate Russell for second place. But come lap 43, Verstappen was back within a second of chief championship rival Leclerc and he cut his RB18 back through Turn 2 to retake the position down the hill into Turn 3. Leclerc immediately pulled seven tenths on the Mercedes and doubled that gap over the rest of the lap, the advantage climbing to 2.8s with Russell in third and Verstappen fourth. He was subsequently stopped at the end of lap 21 for a set of mediums in 2.9s to promote Russell into the lead. Verstappen had DRS on Leclerc into Turn 1 to depose the Ferrari, the Dutch ace shrewdly opening his steering a fraction at the apex to force Leclerc to compromise his line further. With the red cars nose-to-tail, it looked as though they would be split when Sainz was told to box at the end of lap 16 but he stayed out as Russell then came in for his first stop. Russell was put on a set of used softs to launch on a dry track, the spots of rain that had been landing in the build-up to the race failing to develop into a full-blown shower initially. Sainz had tried to bully it around the outside of the right-hander before the W13 cut back at the apex, with the Scuderia then keeping in formation with Leclerc slotting into third place.
Red Bull driver took victory at the Hungaroring, with Lewis Hamilton second and Charles Leclerc a distant sixth.
Leclerc was as perplexed as the rest of us as to why the team chose the hard tyres and bemoaned Ferrari’s failings. Ferrari were forced to pit him again for soft tyres but the damage was done and he emerged in sixth, from which he could not come back. We had a few overtakes, we pitted at the right time and put the right tyres on the car. Sainz and Leclerc had started in second and third, the race surely theirs to dictate. Verstappen’s touch and judgment in coming through the field was unquestionable and Red Bull’s race management and strategy calls were executed to perfection. What had begun with the expectation of damage limitation led to an immense run from 10th on the grid as he and his Red Bull team pulled off an absolute coup.
Lewis Hamilton believes he could have fought for the Hungarian GP victory without his qualifying issues but still praised Mercedes after his on-merit second ...
"I think we did everything right for all the right reasons," Russell said. "But, there's no doubt we're making progress," he added. "When I was sat on the gird and rain was on the way and I was on the soft and everyone was on the mediums, I was rubbing my hands together. "I think Lewis in Budapest, that is a success story and I think we lost the race for him yesterday," added Wolff. "The other guys still have a bit of an edge but we are clearly closing the gap and this is just an amazing way to go into the break knowing that we have this performance. "We have found something and we have been able to get a little bit closer and been able to compete with the Ferraris," said Hamilton. "I honestly think in a straight out race we might not be that far behind Max.
George Russell felt the Hungarian Grand Prix would've come towards his strategy had the threat of rain arrived as forecasted for the start of the Formula 1 ...
Unfortunately it didn't go our way today but as a team we did everything right." "That put us in a very tricky position in that last stint on the mediums and I was already struggling a bit and my engineer said 25 laps to go and the rain started falling and temperatures were dropping so I thought it was going to be a tricky last few laps." "I made a really good start, the first four laps were really strong and pulled the gap to three seconds to Carlos [Sainz] and unfortunately the rain stopped so the medium tyres came into their own but we still had a good first stint and we pitted early on both occasions to cover Max and cover the Ferraris and ultimately Max was too fast for us today.
Lewis Hamilton says he 'would have been in the run for the win' at Formula 1's Hungarian Grand Prix were it not for a DRS problem during qualifying.
"But we're clearly closing the gap. The other guys still have a bit of an edge. "But either way, two seconds in a row, I'm really, really happy.
By F1 correspondent Michael Butterworth. BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Max Verstappen climbed from tenth on the grid to win Sunday's F1 Hungarian Grand Prix, ...
(Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Very tricky conditions out there but we had a really good strategy," said Verstappen afterwards. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
George Russell felt the Hungarian Grand Prix would've come towards his strategy had the threat of rain arrived as forecasted for the start of the Formula 1 ...
Unfortunately it didn't go our way today but as a team we did everything right." "It was always going to be a tricky afternoon because there was rain in the air throughout," Russell said, having finished third. "That put us in a very tricky position in that last stint on the mediums and I was already struggling a bit and my engineer said 25 laps to go and the rain started falling and temperatures were dropping so I thought it was going to be a tricky last few laps."
Dutch driver Max Verstappen climbed from 10th on the grid to win the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix, as Ferrari and Charles Leclerc lost yet more points to some ...
- - - Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. Very tricky conditions out there but we had a really good strategy," said Verstappen afterwards. By the race's half-distance mark, though, Verstappen was still some way behind title rival Leclerc, who had taken the lead on Lap 31 of 70 and was looking good for the win, Xinhua reports.
In a way, the Hungarian GP perfectly encapsulated Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen's seasons and a title challenge gone wrong for Ferrari.
Ferrari said they were nervous of others staying out and taking the lead, but Leclerc would have had the pace to overtake. British GP: Again, Leclerc was leading before a Safety Car, which led to pit stops up and down the field for fresh tyres. "The last part of the race was a disaster for me," Leclerc told Sky Sports F1 afterwards. To make the decision more bizarre, as Leclerc had only used the medium tyres so far and the softs would not have lasted until the end of the race, the ill-recommended hard compounds were fitted. It must be said that Leclerc's title bid going off the rails has not all been Ferrari's fault. Leclerc finished fourth but if stopping for softs, he would surely have won. Leclerc would then have a slow double stack pit-stop behind Sainz, and finish fourth. We will put that down as another 25 points lost. Then came France, when another win slipped through Leclerc's fingers. Leclerc's pace immediately proved why teams were reluctant to use the hards. Who is to blame? Is there a way back?
Ferrari Formula 1 boss Mattia Binotto doubts it was possible for the team to win in Hungary even without the strategy slip-up that dented Charles Leclerc's ...
Today for me, it was the temperatures, a huge performance swing that I didn’t expect.” "For me, it was more the pace. “I couldn’t push because I opened the front tyre.
Max Verstappen capitalised on a Ferrari strategic misstep to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and carry a commanding lead into Formula 1's summer break.
The wording of these had effectively ended the previous rear wing endplates in a bid to reduce airflow disruption to following cars. As ever, small caveats apply – such as Ferrari’s tyre strategy shambles leaving Leclerc without grip and pace on the hards early in the race’s second half and so allowing his rivals to close in. The second chapter of its Budapest intrigue concerned its rear wing upgrade – which appears to go against one of the key aims of F1’s new rules. The first was Sebastian Vettel following finally joining social media by using his Instagram account to announce he will retire from F1 at the end of the season. Team boss Mattia Binotto claimed Ferrari lacked the pace to beat Red Bull even with the same strategy, but this goes down as yet another example of the red team itself preventing its drivers from achieving their best results. But once it had figured out a way for him to drive around the issue, he was unleashed again. But his pace was so great – and Perez’s defensive action against the quickly-arriving Russell helped avoid further lost time – he was able to quickly recover. Sainz was not put on the hards, but Ferrari still found a way to cost him time – in this instance with two slow pitstops. But the Hungarian GP retaining its pre-summer break spot and the mental reset it offers was why Max Verstappen’s engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, told him as he crossed the finish line last Sunday: “what a drive – what a way to finish the first half of the year”. Sainz had insisted the day before that criticism of Ferrari’s strategy calls was unfounded – a claim that is becoming ever more bizarre. This proved to be a vital decision as it meant Verstappen could use the mediums for the remainder and avoid the hards, which would undo Ferrari. Things did not look so rosy for Red Bull after qualifying, when a sudden engine issue robbed Verstappen of power ahead of the final Q3 runs.
Charles Leclerc said that a decision to switch to hard tyres midway through the Hungarian Grand Prix cost him a chance of victory.
As I said before, we were lacking pace and I don’t think we would have won today. Yes, it didn’t work and we would not have fitted them had we known they would be as bad.” Charles Leclerc said that a decision to switch to hard tyres midway through the Hungarian Grand Prix cost him a chance of victory.
Charles Leclerc admitted using the hard tyre in Formula 1's Hungarian Grand Prix was a 'turning point' in the race and doesn't understand why Ferrari put ...
"But we need to be better putting a weekend together. But on the second stint, I don't know exactly why we did it shorter. "I think the second stint should have been longer," Leclerc said.
Ferrari Formula 1 boss Mattia Binotto doubts it was possible for the team to win in Hungary even without the strategy slip-up that dented Charles Leclerc's ...
Today for me, it was the temperatures, a huge performance swing that I didn’t expect.” "For me, it was more the pace. “I couldn’t push because I opened the front tyre.
Despite sitting first and third with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz halfway through the race, Ferrari failed to get either of its cars onto the podium.
Lando Norris crossed the line at Sunday afternoon's Hungarian Grand Prix in seventh, 62 seconds behind the Ferrari driven by Charles Leclerc in sixth place, ...
So, that’s the only thing we have to really work on, but the middle stint was strong and the final stint was easy, I was just on my own and hoping for the race to end. And after making a good start on the soft tyre, he maintained his position and held off the challenge of Lewis Hamilton in the opening laps. And the downbeat McLaren driver admitted he had hoped for a little bit more in Sunday’s race after starting on the second row...
Outstanding drives secured pole position and the win in F1's Hungarian GP, but neither of those drivers scored highest in Edd Straw's ratings.
From there, ended up on a two-stop strategy but was never able to regain the ground lost early on despite producing a decent first stint from there. Produced a mighty first sector on his final Q1 lap – quick enough to make him third-fastest driver through there in the whole of qualifying. Outpaced Vettel by 0.068s in Q1 and advanced to Q2 having initially been in the dropzone thanks to Gasly having a laptime deleted. But he felt the car balance had shifted from the previous day’s dry running and struggled to string together an especially tidy lap, leaving him fractionally slower than Stroll and out in Q1. “It didn’t feel like I had much of a race” was Tsunoda’s summary of a trying afternoon on which he struggled for grip and balance. Started from the pits but made decent progress throughout the race to climb to 12th. Had a decent first couple of stints, showing similar pace to Norris while on the soft and medium compounds. Had the pace for pole position but delivered a lap he described as “nothing special” on the crucial final Q3 run. He wasn’t fastest in any of the three sectors but strung together a lap that allowed him to defeat the theoretically quicker Ferraris. Cleared the midfield runners efficiently enough in the first stint, which started with his attacking start, and was quick enough to pick up a place when Leclerc had to make a third pitstop. While he had a lap on his first run erroneously deleted, then reinstated, that confusion didn’t significantly impact how qualifying played out. When he headed out for the key final run, he had no hybrid power deployment so was unable to set a serious laptime – resulting in 10th.
Each week, Pirelli announces potential tire strategies for Formula 1 teams. Medium-medium-hard wasn't one of them.
Those latter two compounds can last longer, but they will take longer to break in, making it difficult to gain track position or defend against other drivers on older, warmer, or softer tires, something that became incredibly apparent in Leclerc’s latter half of the race. Sainz first pitted on lap 18, followed by Leclerc on lap 22. This last weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the team opted for a tire strategy so poor that it wasn’t recommended by tire supplier Pirelli in any capacity.