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The 2024 F1 Hungarian GP qualifying is arguably going to be one of the most crucial aspects of the race weekend that every driver is going to try and nail. The track is often termed "Monaco without walls", and the reason behind it has been the track's slow to medium-speed nature.
Moreover, overtakes are not easy on this track, and there aren't many spots to pull them off. The last couple of seasons have seen Mercedes pull the rabbit out of the hat and secure pole position.
In 2022, iGeorge Russell secured his first career pole. In 2023, iLewis Hamilton got the job done. What can we expect at the 2024 Hungarian GP qualifying? Let's find out as we share our predictions.
#5 Nico Hulkenberg's Haas to make it to Q3
Nico Hulkenberg in his Haas has been a potent driver recently as he continues to gather points for the team.
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He's coming off consecutive P6 finishes and has the momentum behind him. The German didn't have the best of starts to his Hungarian GP weekend, as he struggled a bit in FP2.
This is nothing new, though, for Hulkenberg, as he has bounced back from these positions quite a few times this season. Kevin Magnussen has shown that Haas has pace around Hungaroring, and one can expect Hulkenberg to sort things out before the duo hit the track on Saturday.
#4 Daniel Ricciardo to beat Yuki Tsunoda
The very first lap Ricciardo did in FP1 showed that the Australian is confident in the car from the get-go.
More often than not, Ricciardo has struggled at RB this season at the start of the weekend, where from the beginning if there's something that doesn't click, he continues to search for it but doesn't find the answer.
At the Hungarian GP,, things have clicked, and he has found the answer. He looks comfortable in the car, and whenever that has happened this season, Ricciardo has had the upper hand over Tsunoda. Expect the same in qualifying as well.
#3 Aston Martin drivers won't make it to Q3
Aston Martin viewed the Hungarian GP as a litmus test for the upgrades that it brought to the car. They have struggling when it comes to understanding what's happening with the car, and it's quite obvious that there's a lack of overall acumen that's hurting their prospects.
The first impression of the upgrades is not positive, as both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll did not find themselves even in the vicinity of where they should have expected themselves.
As is the case in the last few races, expect the struggle to continue as Aston Martin try to wrap their head around the car.
#2 Sergio Perez to struggle to finish top-5 in qualifying
Sergio Perez would have felt very positive after Friday as the Mexican found himself around two and a half tenths slower than his teammate. That's the kind of gap that's possibly on the workable level for Perez, as he has more or less struggled to even get this close to his teammate Max Verstappen.
Having said that, on the current field where the spread between the top-four teams is not going to be massive in qualifying, the 0.25 seconds gap is massive. Moreover, when it comes to qualifying, Verstappen will likely pull out something special as well. Overall, it could be a massive struggle for Perez to finish inside the top-5 in qualifying.
#1 Lando Norris to secure pole at Hungarian GP
The battle for pole position could feature Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. The Australian hasn't had the best of starts to the weekend, so he's on the back foot, which leaves the battle between his teammate and Verstappen.
Looking at how brilliant McLaren look around Hungaroring, it's going to take a special effort from Verstappen to get the better of Norris. The two drivers are in a different league compared to the field.
However, for the Hungarian GP qualifying, expect Norris to nail the final lap, especially as he appears to have quite a few things under control at the moment.
