Hungarian GP 2020
JULY 18, 2020
Qualifying Report - Make that 90
© Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
By Dan Knutson
Lewis Hamilton earned the 90th pole position of his Formula 1 career after he topped qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He had to work for it, as his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was just 0.107 of a second slower.
"Valtteri does not make it easy for me," Hamilton said. "It requires perfection."
The line-up for the weekend was: Mercedes – Hamilton and Bottas; Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc; Red Bull Honda – Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon; McLaren Renault – Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris; Renault – Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon; AlphaTauri Honda – Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly; Racing Point Mercedes – Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll; Alfa Romeo Ferrari – Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi; Haas Ferrari – Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Williams Mercedes – George Russell and Nicolas Latifi.
Bottas was fastest in Q3 earlier in the day with a time of 1:15.437.
QUALIFYING 1
The ambient temperature at the start of the session was 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Centigrade).
There was a 90 percent chance of rain, so the drivers rushed out to get in some laps while the track was still dry. The exceptions were Ocon and Ricciardo.
The order early on was Bottas, Hamilton, Stroll and Perez.
A few drops of rain began to fall five minutes into Q1, but it was not enough to make the track slick.
When there were eight minutes remaining in Q1, Kvyat was 15th and on the cutoff line. Russell was 14th and Latifi was 16th.
But that order kept changing as the session wound down. So did the lead, as Hamilton took over first place. But Perez beat him with two minutes to go.
The track really ramped up and most of the drivers were finding more pace.
When that final frantic rush was over, the five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q1 were: Magnussen, Kvyat, Grosjean, Giovinazzi and Raikkonen.
The fastest 15 drivers who moved on to Q2 were: Perez, Stroll, Hamilton, Sainz, Norris, Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen, Russell, Ocon, Albon, Gasly, Leclerc, Ricciardo and Latifi.
QUALIFYING 2
Russell was the first out in the 15-minute session.
Perez and Stroll headed out on the medium compound Pirelli slicks. So did Hamilton and Bottas. This meant that they could start the race on the more durable tire. Everybody else was on the soft slicks.
Hamilton posted a 1:14.261 to take the lead ahead of Bottas, Vettel and Verstappen.
Stroll and Perez were seventh and eighth – close to the cutoff line in 10th.
Tenth and on the bubble with six minutes to go was Ricciardo, and Gasly was ninth while Leclerc was 11th.
Everyone was in the pits with three minutes remaining, waiting for one last fast lap. Then they all headed out.
The five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q2 were: Ricciardo, Russell, Albon, Ocon and Latifi.
The fastest 10 drivers who moved on to Q3 were: Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris, Vettel, Stroll, Sainz, Perez and Gasly.
QUALIFYING 3
Q3 lasted 12 minutes.
Stroll was the first to go for a flying lap and clocked a 1:14.671. Hamilton easily beat that with a 1:13.613. Bottas grabbed second place.
Perez's time was deleted because he exceeded track limits at Turn 4.
After the first round of runs the order was: Hamilton, Bottas, Stroll, Verstappen, Norris, Sainz, Vettel and Leclerc. Perez and Gasly had no lap times.
Vettel was the first to go back out. Stroll was next. Soon all the drivers were on track except Gasly who had engine woes.
Hamilton turned a 1:13.447, and Bottas set a 1:13.554. So Hamilton won his 90th F1 pole.
The top 10 qualifiers were: Hamilton, Bottas, Stroll, Perez, Vettel, Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Sainz and Gasly.