BUDAPEST, Hungary AP - Charles Leclerc snatched a surprise first pole position of the year for Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday, beating both McLarens.
Leclerc punched the air in delight as he climbed out of the car after beating Oscar Piastri by 0.026 of a second and the other McLaren of Lando Norris by .041.
Leclerc had consistently been the best of the rest behind the McLarens in practice but remained well off Piastri and Norris' pace.
That changed in qualifying, with the help of conditions which gradually got gloomier and windier, working against the McLarens. Norris and Piastri were each about half a second slower per lap in the final part of qualifying, compared to the second segment.
Still, pole came as a shock at a circuit which Leclerc had called "by far the worst track of the season for me" on Thursday.