Nico Rosberg 'all over the place' in Hungarian GP qualifying
Nico Rosberg said his Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session was "all over the place" after he was comfortably beaten by Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position
Hamilton defeated Rosberg by half a second to take his fifth Hungarian GP pole, and Rosberg admitted afterwards he could not explain his performance.
"Qualifying went to plan, I just didn't find the pace," said Rosberg.
"It has been up and down all weekend for some unexplained reason.
"It was a bit all over the place in qualifying. I just wasn't happy and I don't understand it.
"It was a bit inconsistent, it's difficult to explain. I don't know."
Mercedes technical chief Paddy Lowe said Rosberg was held back on Friday by a set-up error on his car.
"A couple of mistakes on Nico's final run meant that he lost a fair chunk of time," said Lowe.
"However, we must apologise to him as we only discovered last night that there had been a configuration error on his car throughout Friday, which hasn't given him an easy ride thus far."
Rosberg added his car balance is "for the race", while polesitter Hamilton feels he is having one of his best F1 weekends.
"In terms of how this weekend has gone so far, I'm incredibly happy," said the reigning world champion.
"So far, it is one of the best I've had. I can't remember having a performance like this.
"Since I have been coming here [Hungary], I have always had good experiences.
"It's not done on a Saturday, and there is lots of work to do tomorrow.
"It's a long way to Turn 1 [after the start], and the race is incredibly tough technically and physically.
"But I feel confident in the team and the car and I hope we can convert it tomorrow."
Hungarian GP qualifying: Lewis Hamilton takes comfortable pole
Fernando Alonso queries F1 rules after Hungarian GP qualifying
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
Daytona 24, Hour 15: Porsche takes lead amid trouble for MSR Acura
Porsche Penske Motorsport moved to the front of the Daytona 24 Hours in the 15th hour after the erstwhile-leading Meyer Shank Racing Acura developed an oil leak issue.
Vandoorne: Dashboard, steering wheel glitch caused Diriyah FE attack mode penalty
A blank dashboard caused Stoffel Vandoorne's 24-second Diriyah E-Prix penalty, as an electronics glitch on his DS Penske Formula E car meant he couldn't arm attack mode.
Five things we learned from Vasseur's first Ferrari F1 press call
Ferrari has undergone a winter of upheaval ever since it was announced that boss Mattia Binotto was stepping away from the Formula 1 squad.
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.