Qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix proved to be incredibly close, producing the smallest gap of the season between the top two drivers.

Pole position was decided by just twelve thousandths of a second, with Lewis Hamilton narrowly beaten by Lando Norris. However, after the session the Briton received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri at the end of his second run in Q3 and will therefore start from fifth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, who set the third-fastest time, is promoted to second and will line up on the front row. Nevertheless, Scuderia Ferrari HP leaves Saturday at the Hungaroring with a strong team result and the confidence that it can fight at the front in tomorrow's race, which is due to start at 15:00 CEST, also based on the encouraging pace shown during the long runs. This evening the team will analyse all the available data to prepare in the best possible way for a race in which tyre management, strategy and execution could make all the difference.

Scuderia Ferrari HP adopted a different approach from all its rivals in the opening phase of qualifying, using a set of Medium tyres on both SF-26s in order to save an extra set of Softs. Despite running the harder compound, Lewis immediately posted a very competitive lap, while Charles also progressed comfortably despite having to repeat his first attempt after his initial lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 4. In Q2 both Ferraris switched to Soft tyres. Lewis immediately set another very competitive time, while Charles had to abandon his lap because of yellow flags following a spin by Isack Hadjar. The Monegasque therefore had to use a second set of Softs, while his team-mate improved on the same set of tyres thanks to the evolution of the track.

In the decisive phase both SF-26s had two fresh sets of Soft tyres available. On their first runs Hamilton stopped the clocks in 1'17"219, while Leclerc posted a 1'17"445. On the final runs the order remained almost unchanged: only Lando Norris managed to improve enough to secure pole position ahead of Lewis and Charles. The Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the summer break, will be contested over 70 laps, covering a total distance of 306.63 kilometres.

Charles Leclerc: My qualifying was about maximising the result and I think I did that today. There was quite a bit of wind change throughout the sessions, so it was tricky to find grip on certain parts of the track.

Our long run pace looked good so far, but it's difficult to rely on the pecking order we saw yesterday as everyone seems to have made a step forward overnight. I expect it to be much tighter in tomorrow's race.

Lewis Hamilton: I always enjoy this track, and I've felt comfortable in the car all weekend, so today's result is frustrating. Pole felt within reach but I didn't quite have the grip I needed on my final Q3 run, and a three-place penalty from a communication issue has left me in a starting position that isn't ideal. We've been competitive from the first session, so I'm hopeful we have the pace to make up ground tomorrow. Tonight, we'll keep working hard as a team to fine-tune everything and give ourselves the best possible chance in the race.

Fred Vasseur: The positive aspect of today is the level of competitiveness we have shown. Of course, losing pole by one hundredth of a second and then receiving a three-place grid penalty with Lewis for impeding is frustrating. Charles also had a far from straightforward session, with his lap deleted for track limits in Q1 and then having to deal with yellow flags after (Isack) Hadjar spun. That said, we've shown good pace throughout the weekend and tomorrow will be a long race where tyre management, strategy and execution will all be decisive. Charles starts from the front row and Lewis is still close enough to fight, so our objective remains the same: to maximise every opportunity and bring home the best possible result.