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FACTS AND STATS: Hamilton and Verstappen both start outside the top 6 for the first time since 2018 after Hungarian qualifying

Virtual Statman

Sean Kelly

30 July 2022

George Russell grabbed his maiden pole position in a frenetic qualifying session at the Hungaroring that saw shocks aplenty. Red Bull couldn’t fix a late power issue for Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton suffered a DRS issue, while though the Ferrari drivers managed clean laps, they just couldn’t compete with the pace of Russell. Here are all the best facts and stats from Hungary…

George Russell is the 105th driver to take a World Championship pole and the third new pole-sitter of 2022 after Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.
Russell’s pole was his team’s eighth in Hungary, which ties McLaren and Ferrari for the Hungaroring record.
Sainz outqualified Charles Leclerc for only the third time this season.
Leclerc has never won a race from outside the front row.

Lando Norris was fourth, which ties both his and McLaren’s best start of the season.
Norris’s starting slot is also McLaren’s best in Hungary since 2012, when Lewis Hamilton was on pole and Jenson Button fourth.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 30: Pole position qualifier George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes — Russell grabbed his first pole position for Mercedes in Hungary

Esteban Ocon was fifth, three places higher than he qualified when he won this race last season.
It also ties the Frenchman’s best qualifying of the season.
Fernando Alonso was sixth, the first time both Alpine cars have qualified in the top six in 2022.
Hamilton was seventh, meaning neither he nor Max Verstappen are in the top six on a grid for the first time since the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix, where they both had grid penalties.

Valtteri Bottas was eighth, ending a run of six consecutive Q2 eliminations.
Daniel Ricciardo was ninth, in his first Q3 appearance at the Hungaroring since 2017.
It was the first time both McLarens reached Q3 since Imola.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 30: Fernando Alonso of Spain driving the (14) Alpine F1 A522 Renault on — Alonso made it two cars in the top six at a venue they scored a famous result at last season

Verstappen was P10, having not qualified outside the top four previously this season.
It’s also the Dutchman’s lowest ever start at the Hungaroring.
Verstappen has managed three podiums in his career after starting from 10th or lower. Those came from 16th, 18th and 20th starting slots.
Perez was out in Q2 for the second time this year, and also failed to make Q3 in Hungary for the seventh time in his last nine visits.
Zhou Guanyu was 12th, meaning it is the first time both Sauber-run cars start in the top 12 here since 2007.
Lance Stroll managed to end a streak of seven straight races where he has exited in Q1.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 30: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in — Disappointment for Perez, who went out in Q2

Yuki Tsunoda starts 16th, having also fallen in Q1 in 2021 and also started P16.
Sebastian Vettel failed to reach Q3 in Hungary for the first time since 2008.
The German was just 0.069s away from getting into Q2.

WATCH: Vettel crashes out of final practice in Hungary

Pierre Gasly suffered his second consecutive Q1 elimination, for his fifth Q1 exit of the season. He’s never previously started outside the top 10 in Hungary.
Nicholas Latifi was the slowest qualifier for the second straight weekend, after topping the timing sheets in FP3.