Crazy Formula 1 qualifying in Budapest: George Russell gets his first pole ever and celebrates enthusiastically. Meanwhile, the Ferraris are also showing that you have to count on them in the race. World champion Verstappen is experiencing a debacle and is pissed off.
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen cursed out loud in his Red Bull, and the lightning-fast Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were not completely happy either: They all had to give way, completely surprisingly, to Mercedes driver George Russell, who was busy with a brilliant Round secured pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix (Sunday, 3 p.m. / Sky and in the live ticker on ntv.de) and duped the favorites.
"I'm overwhelmed. We worked so hard after what was probably the worst Friday of the season," said 24-year-old Russell, for whom it was his first pole position ever: "The lap time kept getting better and better. When I then first place on the screen, it was an incredible feeling. It's a great moment for me, I'm super, super happy."
While Russell was still trying to explain Mercedes' immense improvement after the bad Friday practice session, the Dutchman Verstappen stomped away completely frustrated. Due to technical problems, it was only enough for tenth place - and worse: His World Cup rival Leclerc took third place and thus has the best chance of moving closer in the drivers' standings. Second was Sainz. In general, qualifying went badly for Red Bull: Not only was Verstappen's tenth place disappointing, his teammate Sergio Perez even finished eleventh behind him. With few overtaking opportunities at the Hungaroring, there is little hope for Red Bull.
Haas driver Mick Schumacher was 15th, but he was still fighting. "A lot can happen here, especially at the start. If the people in front of me don't quite agree, maybe we can benefit," he said. Sebastian Vettel only took 18th place on the grid in the Aston Martin. Nicholas Latifi's flight also ended abruptly. The Williams driver from Canada, who surprisingly set the best time in the third free practice session, finished last.
Before the 13th of 22 races of the season, Verstappen is 63 points ahead of Leclerc on course for the title - despite the failed qualifying. After the Hungarian race, Formula 1 will go on a four-week summer break. In addition to the title duel between Verstappen and Leclerc, this weekend in Budapest is all about the approaching farewell to Vettel. The four-time world champion announced on Thursday that the season would end at the end. After 15 years of Formula 1, he wants to devote himself to his family and have time for his three children and his wife.
After much speculation about his future, Vettel seemed relieved and relieved that he had now made this decision and communicated it to the public. In addition to his four world championship titles, his résumé includes 53 race wins and 122 podium finishes. Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in the premier class, but Formula 1 will also miss him off the track - especially in the recent past, he has become a kind of moral authority and has denounced grievances and problems.
