Lewis Hamilton snatches the pole position from Max Verstappen by a whisker in the Hungarian GP, overjoyed as if it was his maiden P1

Lewis Hamilton secures his ninth pole at the Hungaroring, making him the first driver in history to do so.

Lewis Hamilton snatches the pole position from Max Verstappen by a whisker in the Hungarian GP, overjoyed as if it was his maiden P1

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (Credits: Yahoo News Singapore)

After an 18-month wait, Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver at the Hungaroring, finally secured the 104th pole position of his career. The Mercedes driver shattered another record, achieving nine poles on a single track. Hamilton expressed the joy of victory and a feeling reminiscent of his first pole.

In a gripping qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton secured pole position, narrowly edging out Max Verstappen by a mere three milliseconds. The 2021 rivals will now share the front row after the controversial Abu Dhabi finale. Verstappen, who had the provisional pole, couldn’t improve his lap time on his final run, thus awarding the chance for other drivers behind him to deny a pole position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wSo_cKojxc

Hamilton, who was all hoarse with his excitement on the radio, expressed his joy post-qualifying, remarking, “It’s been a crazy year and a half. I’ve lost my voice from shouting so much in the car. It’s amazing, that feeling.” He expressed his gratitude to the team and thanked them for their efforts. The pole man added, “to finally get a pole, it just feels like the first time.”

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Mercedes approached the weekend with optimism, as the Hungaroring’s layout favored their W14. The team introduced significant circuit-specific upgrades to leverage their advantage. Hamilton, who hadn’t expected to fight for the pole, gave it his all on the final run, saying, “I didn’t expect coming today that I’d be fighting for pole.” The Mercedes driver was seen wringing the neck of his W14, which he expressed, saying, “There was nothing left in it.”

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Lewis Hamilton behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Credits: Planet F1)

The introduction of the ‘Alternative Tyre Allocation’ added an exciting twist to the Hungarian GP. Teams had to strategize effectively, and the resulting close competition made for a captivating qualifying session. Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou was a dark horse with a career-best fifth place.

George Russell, who started on the pole at the previous Hungarian GP, faced disappointment as he was knocked out in Q1 due to traffic. The young British driver’s chances to showcase his skills could have been improved, leaving him frustrated and with a huge challenge to slice through the pack on a track that is tricky to overtake.

Hamilton’s pole position marked only the second time this season that a non-Red Bull driver denied the team a top spot on the grid. With Red Bull’s dominance throughout the season, Hamilton’s pole adds excitement to the prospect of a competitive race. The results from FP3 indicated a thrilling battle ahead, potentially breaking Red Bull’s winning streak.

Hamilton’s last win came at the Saudi Arabian GP in 2021, which marked his previous pole position before the Hungarian GP. Now, with pole position secured again, he aims to break his winless streak. All eyes are on the race day as he prepares to defend his position against fierce competition from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

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