Yahoo Autos F1 Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying: Front Row Lockout First in 12 Years for McLaren
Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez’s fight for his Formula 1 future took another downward turn in Hungary on Saturday after a hefty crash during qualifying.
Perez crashed out in Q1 at the Hungaroring in a session in which Lando Norris headed Oscar Piastri to lead McLaren’s first front row lockout in 12 years.
Perez’s teammate, F1 world champion Max Verstappen, will start third in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Saturday marked the second successive qualifying session in which Perez has crashed out of Q1 in damp weather conditions, with his early bath at Silverstone followed by a swift exit at the Hungaroring.
Drivers were on slick tires on a greasy track after light rain fell during the build-up to qualifying, but Perez dipped a wheel on the white line on the approach to the medium-speed left hander at turn 8.
Perez spun into the wall and the left-hand-side of his RB20 suffered sizeable damage in the impact. Perez has scored only 15 points across a six-event spell, which has included crashing out of races in Monaco and Canada, along with four exits from the first knockout stage of qualifying.
He has dropped to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, 137 points behind team-mate and title leader Verstappen, while his performances have left Red Bull vulnerable in the Constructors’ battle, its margin over Ferrari sitting at 71 points.
Red Bull’s bosses have urged Perez to up his performance ahead of Formula 1’s summer break, which begins after next weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, with the team wary of the gains made by rivals—in particular McLaren and Mercedes—in recent months.
Perez’s Red Bull contract was extended through 2026 earlier this year but he remains on shaky ground and Saturday’s accident acts as another blow to the Mexican.
Red Bull has RB drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda—who also suffered a large accident in qualifying—under its umbrella, as well as its test and reserve driver Liam Lawson.
Perez’s chances of a recovery drive on Sunday from 16th on the grid are also slim with the Hungaroring known as one of the most difficult tracks on the calendar at which to overtake.
“I think these conditions can catch out anyone out there but unfortunately it has been me two in a row,” Perez said, having apologized to Red Bull.
“The easiest way would be just to give up after the career I’ve had, to say it’s been enough, but it’s not what I want to teach my kids, not what I want to show, this sort of character. I think it’s important to turn things around, get back to our form. You’ve seen it with many other drivers that they had difficult weekends but probably when you are at Red Bull it’s a lot more noticeable, and I just want to get back, and I will get back, I will not give up.”
McLaren’s front row lockout continued the team’s recent strong form, and it has a strong opportunity to reduce its 78-point deficit to Red Bull in Sunday’s race.
Third-placed Verstappen sported several new upgrades on the RB20, including the removal of the high-shouldered sections on the engine cover, and urged the need for further improvements.
“I mean, for sure, they work, but we're still not first, right? So, we need more,” Verstappen said. “It's as simple as that. I mean, I think, looking back at my qualifying, I was just very happy with the laps, but balance-wise, everything is really on the edge.
"I'm pushing as hard as I can, and then, of course, you have little moments here and there. I feel like I probably push harder than I did last year, but, yeah, it's just not coming anymore, you know, to have these great lap times. I guess it just means that we are a bit slower, so we have work to do. It's as simple as that.”
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Qualifying Results
Lando Norris. McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
Daniel Ricciardo, RB
Yuki Tsunoda, RB
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber
Alexander Albon, Williams
Logan Sargeant, Williams
Kevin Magnussen, Haas
Sergio Perez, Red Bull
George Russell. Mercedes
Zhou Guanyu, Kick Suber
Esteban Ocon, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
