2024 F1 Hungarian GP Qualifying: Winners and Losers

The 2024 F1 Hungarian GP qualifying saw an interesting battle for pole position in which Lando Norris came out on top. The final standings had Norris on the pole but less than a tenth covered the top 3 drivers.

In P2 we have Oscar Piastri, the Australian's second lap saw him hook things up perfectly and secure the front row. In P3, we have Max Verstappen, as the Red Bull driver was unable to find the final tenth that would have handed him pole position.

The grid for the 2024 F1 Hungarian GP is set, and it will feature an all-McLaren front row for the first time in 12 years. Having said that, who would be happy with how the session went, and who would be a bit upset? Let's take a look.

2024 F1 Hungarian GP Qualifying

Winner

McLaren and Lando Norris

You have to tip your hat to McLaren and Lando Norris. Just about 12 months ago, this team had no clue what the future held. Andreas Seidl, the trusted team principal left the squad for a bigger role, the car was under-developed, the performance was not up to par, and Lando was courted by multiple teams.

Through all of this, both the driver and the team kept faith and here we are. It's still not a complete package, but the F1 Hungarian GP qualifying has shown that it's getting there.

Loser

Sergio Perez

This might be one of the last qualifying sessions that Sergio Perez has with the team. We had Christian Horner just yesterday backing his driver to the hilt. What he hoped and expected was a performance that justified his presence on the team.

After the crash, Horner's demeanor revealed everything. It's going to be very hard for Perez to accomplish anything from where he is right now.

Winner

Aston Martin

This was a positive for Aston Martin because it does appear that the team could have found something with the car. The team has brought a bucketload of upgrades quite a few times now, but the results have just not been there.

At the F1 Hungarian GP qualifying, however, there was something that appeared better with the car. Alonso looked stronger, and so did Lance. We have to give this time, but it's only a positive for a team that has been on a negative trajectory for a while.

Loser

George Russell

Goerge should have nailed his earlier laps, as he inherently had the pace to accomplish that. At the same time, Mercedes should have sent him out with more fuel. For Russell, the momentum within the team has slowly but steadily started to shift towards Lewis Hamilton.

For a driver who wants to take over as the team leader, this cannot be a good thing whatsoever.

Winner

RB

Having both cars in Q3 was a positive, especially since Daniel Ricciardo did suffer from brake issues early in qualifying. The F1 Hungarian GP was possibly the first indication that RB is a team that is finally getting a hand of its upgrades.

The track worked like a charm, and so did the drivers, although we'll have to wait and see how Yuki is after that aerial crash.

Loser

Red Bull

It's safe to say that Max Verstappen was frustrated and a little furious at how Red Bull has been unable to find the kind of performance that can help him challenge McLaren. This weekend was supposed to be the one where upgrades would work and give the advantage to the reigning champions. On the contrary, the opposite happened.

McLaren was out of reach today, and the fact that the Red Bull's upgrades had no impact should worry the team.