Quali recap: Charles sixth, Carlos eleventh
Budapest 22 luglio 2023
Qualifying begins for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Air temperature is 26 and the track is at 45.
Q1. Only Hard tyres can be used in the first part. Carlos begins with a 1’19”793, Charles a 1’19”414 and they carry on lapping. Sainz gets down to 1’19”168. The majority of drivers pit for new tyres, including the Ferrari pair, who are 13th and 16th. With new Hards, Charles gets down to 1’18”440 and Carlos does 1’18”393. Sainz is fourth, Charles fifth and they both go through to Q2.
Q2. The second phase is run on Medium tyres: on their first run, Charles laps in 1’17”877, Carlos in 1’17”905. On his second run, Leclerc posts a time of 1’17”580 to get through to Q3 in sixth place. But Sainz misses the cut by just two thousandths of a second with a lap in 1’17”703. The field is very evenly matched: in third place Max Verstappen is just 156 thousandths of a second quicker than Carlos in eleventh.
Q3. The final phase must be completed on Soft tyres. On his first run, Charles laps in 1’17”157, provisionally fifth. Second time round, the Monegasque gets down to 1’16”992 which secures him sixth place.