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Commentary

Live: F1 Hungarian GP commentary and updates – FP3 & Qualifying

Live commentary and updates on final practice and qualifying for the 2022 edition of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, taking place at the Hungaroring this weekend.

Following Charles Leclerc’s crash while leading last weekend’s French GP, Max Verstappen picked up the win and extended his F1 world championship lead to 63 points over his Ferrari rival.

But the main talking point in the F1 paddock has been Sebastian Vettel’s announcement that he will retire from F1 at the end of 2022.

The Hungarian GP marks the final race before F1’s summer break.

By: Lewis Duncan, Haydn Cobb, James Newbold

Summary

Summary
  • Russell takes shock pole for F1 Hungarian GP
  • Sainz, who held provisional pole, pushed to second and Leclerc to third
  • Verstappen 10th due to engine issue in Q3
  • Hamilton seventh after broken DRS on final run in top-10 shootout
  • Out in Q2: P11 Perez, P12 Zhou, P13 Magnussen, P14 Stroll, P15 Schumacher
  • Out in Q1: P16 Tsunoda, P17 Albon, P18 Vettel, P19 Gasly, P20 Latifi
Leaderboard
  1. Russell, Mercedes
  2. Sainz, Ferrari
  3. Leclerc, Ferrari
  4. Norris, McLaren
  5. Ocon, Alpine
  6. Alonso, Alpine
  7. Hamilton, Mercedes
  8. Bottas, Alfa Romeo
  9. Ricciardo, McLaren
  10. Verstappen, Red Bull
Status: Stopped
That's all from us today on Autosport's Live blog, but there is plenty of motorsport happening today - so do be sure to keep an eye on the website for coverage of Formula E, IndyCar, Formula 2, the British Touring Car Championship and the Spa 24 Hours. There's still 23 hours to go in the latter! Thanks for joining us and see you back here tomorrow for Hungarian Grand Prix live commentary from just before 14:00 GMT.
Here's the full report from qualifying in Hungary as George Russell snared a remarkable maiden pole as Max Verstappen struggled to tenth: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-hungarian-gp-russell-snatches-first-pole-as-verstappen-struggles/10345926/
One of the talking points will surely be the issues that befell Verstappen on his second Q3 run. But he was hampered too by the lock-up at Turn 2 on his first flyer which left him only seventh and without the safety net of a strong banker to fall back on. Altogether not a good day for the reigning world champion.
A debut for this graphic too. 
 
Close it was indeed. Just 0.044s was the margin between Russell and Sainz that decided pole in favour of the Mercedes man. 

 
The crucial question tomorrow will be whether Russell can stay at the front as something of a lone ranger with Hamilton back in seventh. Ferrari has more strategic options to play with, which will no doubt be the topic of much discussion in Mercedes' planning meetings tonight.
That's the first Mercedes pole since last year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on 4 December. Surely nobody could have predicted it would take this long in F1's ground effects era, nor that it would be Russell who would be the man to do it.
Russell will share the front row tomorrow with Sainz, with Leclerc third alongside Norris. Ocon starts fifth at the scene of his 2021 win, sharing the third row with team-mate Alonso, while old team-mates Hamilton and Bottas will line up alongside each other on the fourth row in seventh and eighth. Ricciardo and a disappointed Verstappen will start ninth and tenth.
Toto Wolff is overheard on the world feed saying Hamilton's DRS failed. Bitter luck for the seven-time champion, who was bidding to become the first driver ever to claim nine poles at the same track.
Russell is elated on his cool-down lap. That's a first F1 career pole for the former Williams driver at his 73rd Grand Prix. But he's still got perspective as he reminds his team: "No points for Saturday, let's go tomorrow."
Verstappen struggles and aborts his lap - Ocon, Bottas and Ricciardo all lap faster than the championship leader, who will start tenth.
Hamilton aborted his last qualifying lap, so does not improve and is seventh. Russell is a polesitter in Formula 1!
But both are now beaten by George Russell! It's a provisional pole for the Mercedes man on 1m17.377s.
Leclerc posts a 1m17.567s, but Sainz beats it to set provisional pole on 1m17.421.
Leclerc goes purple in sector one, but Sainz is going faster still!
He's ordered to switch to the 'Fail 21' setting, but Verstappen immediately responds "no power", adding: "nothing works".
"I have no power," radios Verstappen on his outlap. "Okay, stand by," is his engineer's cool response.
 
Here we go then, the last runs are underway as Ricciardo and the Alpines lead the pack out of the pits.
Sainz currently leads the way from Russell by 0.463s. Leclerc is third, then Hamilton, Alonso, Norris and Verstappen, with Ocon, Bottas and Ricciardo completing the provisional top 10.
Everybody is back in the pits now readying for their second and final runs.
It's only seventh for Verstappen! It's a 1m18.823s for the championship leader, who locks his left-front and runs very wide at Turn 2 to loose over a second to Sainz.
Now Russell splits the Ferraris, with Hamilton going fourth behind Leclerc. What will Verstappen do?
But Sainz goes quicker still with a 1m17.505s to go top, with Alonso slotting into third for now ahead of Norris.
The first time on the board is a 1m18.890s from Ocon, but Leclerc smashes that with a 1m17.985s.
All 10 cars are out on track, and the first to start a flyer is Ocon, followed by Ricciardo. Verstappen was last to leave the pits.
And we're underway for Q3. Decisive minutes coming up.
Maybe Perez will be able to take some cheer from the fact that Wycombe Wanderers are currently 3-0 up on the opening day of the season. Or perhaps, maybe not.
 
So here's the run down of the top 10 from Q2 who will go on to fight for pole in Q3.
1. Verstappen
2. Leclerc
3. Alonso
4. Sainz
5. Hamilton
6. Norris
7. Russell
8. Ricciardo
9. Ocon
10. Bottas
Zhou also misses out on Q3 by 0.128s in P12, while Magnussen, Stroll and Schumacher will start from positions 13 to 15.
Perez isn't happy. He's only 11th after a messy session, and says he was blocked by Magnussen. The Mexican misses out by 0.071s to Bottas in tenth.
Ricciardo improves from tenth to eighth, putting Bottas back onto the bubble. But nobody behind him is in a position to improve and with the flag out, we have our top 10 locked in for qualifying.
No improvement from Stroll or Schumacher, who remain rooted to the bottom in P14 and P15, but Ocon and Bottas creep into the top 10. That puts Perez and Zhou out!
It's now or never time for those currently outside the top 10 as we enter the final minutes. Ocon is 11th, then Bottas, Magnussen, Stroll and Schumacher, with Zhou on the bubble in 10th.
We've got our wires crossed. Perez's last lap was slightly slower than his earlier disallowed effort - a 1m19.624s - but his earlier 1m18.516s has now been reinstated. That's a curious one.
Perez now has a lap on the board, but it's only good enough for ninth. That 1m18.516s is looking a little precarious.
Leclerc has found time too, that puts him second on a 1m17.768s. Sainz had temporarily been outside the top 10, but now goes fourth, just behind Alonso, on a 1m17.946s.
It's a big improvement from Hamilton, who launches from 11th to third with a 1m18.035s. Russell gains too, but not by the same extent to go fifth on a 1m18.154s.
The second runs are now underway after a change of tyres, with Hamilton over two tenths quicker in the first sector on this flyer.

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