Summary

  • Leclerc takes pole; Piastri 2nd; Norris 3rd

  • Hamilton out in second session

  • Aston Martin show pace, Red Bull struggle

  • Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 2 commentary at the top of the page

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Max Verstappen goes quickest with a 1:16.346 but the two McLarens go faster, pushing the four-time world champion down the order.

    Lewis Hamilton climbs to third as Oscar Piastri, despite a dip into the gravel, is top runner with a 1:15.554, with McLaren team-mate Lando Norris just behind by 0.373 seconds.

  2. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The track is going to get so much faster by the end of this session.

    Max Verstappen is purple purple in the first two sectors, but that has just been beaten by Oscar Piastri.

  3. The two Williams drivers get us off the mark on a fresh set of softs with a 1:17.441 for Alex Albon and a 1:18.282 for Carlos Sainz. Spaniard Sainz was a bit messy through that opening lap, which is reflected in that lap time.

  4. Most of you are picking Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri for pole today but it is tight. Get your thumbs out and add your pick here.

    Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon head out first in the Williams. Will we see some rain in this session? The rest of the pit lane are waiting to asses the weather conditions.

  5. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    In qualifying you've got to have really good flow, you need good change of direction and because every corner leads into the next corner, especially in sector two, your car positioning needs to be perfect.

  6. Go! Go! Go!

    I can see some red faces among the fans at the Hungaroring. The sun is out and the conditions are hot - track temperature is currently 51C - but hang on, are those dark clouds in the distant? Yes. Let's crack on.

    Q1 is green.

    Click the 'listen live' tabe at the top of the page to tune in to qualifying commentary.

  7. Can Verstappen spring a surprise?

    Maz VerstappenGetty Images

    “You try to fix the rear and then it ploughs into understeer."

    That was the radio message of Max Verstappen, who, along with his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, has struggled to find any positives in the Red Bull so far this weekend.

    The Dutchman did bank a few fast laps during third practice but they were quickly scrubbed as the likes of the McLarens and the Ferraris, and a few others, jumped above him. He eventually finished third practice in 12th place, while Tsunoda was a couple of places higher in ninth.

    Verstappen has stuck it on pole once in Hungary. And it was a special one, too, his maiden pole in Formula 1 in 2019. It would take something extraordinary for him to do it again today, though.

  8. Brighter session for Hamilton

    Lewis HamiltonGetty Images

    It was a brighter session this morning for Lewis Hamilton, who said Friday practice was a genuine struggle in the Ferrari. The seven-time world champion ended his hour in fourth place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, and he seemed happier in the car after explaining the inconsistencies with balance from corner to corner.

    Hamilton has been on pole a record nine times at the quirky Hungaroring but has said driving his new Scuderia around the 14-turn circuit is a different experience compared to previous years.

    The 40-year-old will be aiming for a better qualifying than what he produced at Spa. He was eliminated in SQ1 in the sprint and then knocked in Q1 the following day when his lap time was deleted for track limits.

  9. Who is your pick for pole?

    Oscar Piastri and Lando NorrisGetty Images

    At last week's Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, Lando Norris pipped Oscar Piastri by 0.085 seconds to secure pole position; the Australian's mistake at Stavelot scuppering his chances of a fifth pole of the season. Norris was on a high after back-to-back wins in Austria and at Silverstone but it was Piastri who triumphed from second on the grid at a soggy Spa-Francorchamps after overtaking Norris at the rolling start.

    At the Hungaroring 12 months ago, Piastri celebrated his maiden F1 victory here after qualifying in P2. McLaren scored a one-two that day, both in qualifying and the race, with Piastri again passing polesitter Norris on an opening lap. The grand prix is remembered for that heated row over team orders, but in Q3 on the Saturday, Norris was 0.022secs quicker than Piastri.

    Thumbs time. Who do you think will take pole today?

    Left thumb for Oscar. Right thumb for Lando.

  10. Piastri heads Norris in FP3

    Oscar PiastriGetty Images

    McLaren have dominated practice in Hungary and while Lando Norris was quickest in the first and second sessions yesterday, Oscar Piastri was the man to beat earlier on. The Australian edged his team-mate by 0.032 seconds at the top of the timesheets, with the pair the only drivers to clocks times in the 1:14s.

    Charles Leclerc completed a hat-trick of third places in practice, finishing just shy of four tenths away from Piastri's best time. His Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton fared better on Saturday, putting his Scuderia in fourth spot.

  11. Welcome back

    Lorraine McKenna
    BBC Sport Journalist

    Fans hold up signs at the HungaroringGetty Images

    Hello again, folks. It's time to find out who has the one-lap pace to claim pole position around the 4.381km Hungaroring circuit before the summer shutdown.

    Qualifying in Budapest gets under way at 15:00 BST.

    The odds are firmly with a McLaren polesitter today but who will it be? Lando Norris, who secured the front-row spot last weekend in Belgium or Oscar Piastri, who took victory from second on the grid at Spa and leads Norris by 16 points in the title race.

  12. Piastri leads Norris to another McLaren practice one-two

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent at the Hungaroring

    Oscar PiastriGetty Images

    Oscar Piastri led team-mate Lando Norris to a McLaren one-two in final practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

    Piastri was just 0.032 seconds clear of Norris as the McLaren drivers appeared well clear of the rest of the field.

    Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were third and fourth, Leclerc 0.399secs behind Piastri and 0.369secs ahead of the seven-time champion.

    Kimi Antonelli had an encouraging session after a disappointing few races with fifth fastest time, ahead of the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

    Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell was eighth, ahead of the Saubers of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, after a wobble out of the penultimate corner on his fastest lap.

    Aston Martin appear to be benefitting from the Hungaroring better suiting their car’s characteristics than Spa last weekend, where Alonso and Stroll qualified together on the back row of the grid.

    Red Bull have been struggling so far this weekend. Max Verstappen finished the final session before qualifying only 12th fastest, 1.246secs off the pace.

    Verstappen was struggling to balance the car, as he has so often this season. “You try to fix the rear and then it ploughs into understeer,” he told the team over the radio.

  13. Qualifying build-up from 14:45 BST

    The McLarens are in a class of their own at the moment so it looks like the fight for pole position will be between championship leader Oscar Piastri and his team-mate Lando Norris. Who will line up on the second row? That could be the one to watch.

    We'll park the bus here and then come back for qualifying build-up from 14:45 BST.

    Q1 goes green at 3pm. See you shortly!

  14. And the rest

    11. Ollie Bearman (Haas)

    12. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    13. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

    14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

    15. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

    16. Alex Albon (Williams)

    17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

    18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    19. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

    20. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

  15. Top 10

    1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:14.916

    2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.032

    3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.399

    4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.768

    5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.829

    6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.878

    7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.912

    8. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.924

    10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +1.109

  16. 'Red Bull way off the pace'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    That was another difficult session for Yuki Tsunoda, that's not what Red Bull need, they are way off the pace currently.

  17. "What a session," says Yuki Tsunoda, with all the enthusiasm of someone who can't get out of the car quick enough. What will qualifying hold for the Red Bull man?

    Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finishes third with team-mate Lewis Hamilton in fourth and the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli completes the top five in fifth.

  18. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It's a little bit uncharacteristic for Isack Hadjar to have a poor session, he's been a bit of a revelation this year.

  19. chequered flag

    Chequered flag

    And that's it for practice at the Hungaroring.

    Oscar Piastri tops this third session with a 1:14.916 from his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. It's only small gap between the two drivers at 0.032 seconds.

  20. Track temperature is 51C now as the clock ticks down on this final practice session. Charles Leclerc doesn't improve on his latest flyer but Franco Colapinto does in the Alpine. The Argentine moves up to P13 at the end of the session.