McLaren faced a challenging qualifying session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, securing only second and third places on the grid. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had shown promising performance leading up to the qualifying rounds, topping all three practice sessions and exchanging fast laps during Q1 and Q2. However, a sudden shift in wind conditions before Q3 unsettled both drivers, leaving team principal Andrea Stella perplexed.
Qualifying Challenges
“Today the conditions were very weird,” Stella remarked to Sky Sports F1. “Very dependent on the wind. There was a change of conditions from Q2 to Q3 and I have to say, we paid a bit of a price.” McLaren had anticipated locking out the front row but ended the session four tenths slower than their Q2 performances, allowing Charles Leclerc to secure pole position. This marks only the fifth instance this season where neither McLaren driver starts from the front of the grid.
Stella elaborated that the unpredictable gusts complicated the drivers’ ability to gauge their cars, especially in Q3. “Formula One cars are aerodynamic machines, and adding the headwind, tailwind, or side wind has a significant effect on the grip experienced in a corner,” he explained. “It depends a little bit on the amount of risks you want to take, and then you have to adapt based on how the wind behaves.”
Driver Reactions
Piastri, who will start second for the third consecutive race, echoed the surprise caused by the wind shift. “It was a pretty big surprise, yup,” he noted. “Charles outqualifying us is one surprise, but just how much we lost from Q2 to Q3 is a bit strange. There are definitely some things to analyze.” He admitted that his first lap did not feel great due to the unexpected wind changes, which affected his downforce expectations. “The second lap I knew which way the wind was going, and I couldn’t go any faster still. So that was a bit of a surprise. It’s something to look into.”
Despite the setback, Piastri remains optimistic. He has won four of his eight races from second on the grid, including his first Formula 1 victory at this circuit last year, and believes that strategy and potential rain could play a crucial role on race day. “I think we’re going to try and win the race; that’s our goal,” he stated. “We’ll have to wait and see what the weather does. It’s a place where strategy is a factor as well. There are many variables that can lead to winning or losing, but I’m sure we’ll both be trying to win the race in our own right.”
Teammate Norris was more straightforward in his critique of Q3. “I don’t know why it affected us more than others,” he said. “The 14.8 in Q2 felt like a nice, easy lap… Q3 was dreadful at 15.4. I’m like, what the hell is going on? The wind changed completely.” Norris acknowledged that both he and Piastri were hesitant during their first runs and played it safe on their final laps—a decision that likely cost them pole position. “It was harder for us to take risks on the final lap. We probably could have gone a tenth quicker, but we could have also gone a tenth slower. And a tenth slower puts you three or four positions back quite quickly.”
Looking Ahead
With both cars starting behind Leclerc, McLaren’s drivers emphasized the importance of the start and the opening lap, particularly with rain forecasted. “It’s a long race,” Norris said. “There’s going to be rain as well, so I’m sure that will play a part. You can prepare as much as you want, but in races like these, sometimes you just have to make decisions on the go.” The race is set to begin on Sunday at 3 PM local time (11 PM AEST).