Britain’s George Russell claimed the first pole position of his Formula One career for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, in a qualifying to forget for Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
Russell edged out Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz by just 0.044 seconds, with Charles Leclerc securing third place on the grid.
The 24-year-old’s Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton qualified seventh, while Verstappen will start Sunday’s race back in tenth after he suffered mechanical problems.
Sainz and Leclerc looked as though they had secured a front-row lockout for Ferrari only for Russell to snatch a shock result with a brilliant final lap at the Hungaroring.
“Come on, whoooo, come on, yes, you beauty, you beauty,” said Russell over the radio, unable to hide his delight at his maiden pole and Mercedes’ first of the season.
“Amazing. We needed that.”
Verstappen locked up at Turn 2 on his opening run in Q3, finishing 1.7 seconds behind, and then reported he had no power as he geared up for his final attempt.
Mercedes struggled for pace in practice but Russell pulled out one of the laps of his career – finishing eight tenths clear of Hamilton – to take the front spot for Sunday’s 70-lap race.
Most read in Motorsport
“I am over the moon,” said Russell. “That last lap was mega. I came across the line and saw P1 and it was an incredible feeling.
“There are no points for qualifying but we are going to be absolutely going for it. It has been a special day.”
Lando Norris took fourth for McLaren, one place ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying results:
1. George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1mins 17.377secs
2. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Ferrari 1:17.421
3. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:17.567
4. Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:17.769
5. Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1:18.018
6. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Alpine 1:18.078
7. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:18.142
8. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:18.157
9. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) McLaren 1:18.379
10. Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:18.823
11. Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:18.516
12. Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:18.573
13. Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:18.825
14. Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:19.137
15. Mick Schumacher (Ger) Haas F1 1:19.202
16. Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:19.240
17. Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:19.256
18. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Aston Martin 1:19.273
19. Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:19.527
20. Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams 1:19.570
talkSPORT BET Euro 2024 Offers
Offer 1: Completely free £5 bet for Euro 2024 – No Deposit Needed
18+ New customers only. Opt in, get £5 free bet on selected markets. Available for first 5000 customers only. Bonus expires in 24h after registration. T&Cs apply, GambleAware.org Please gamble responsibly
Offer 2: Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets
18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile & bet £10+ on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly