Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton bags maiden pole of 2023 as Max Verstappen’s streak comes to a stop

Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton produced a brilliant lap in Q3 of Qualification at Hungarian Grand Prix to pip Max Verstappen and take his maiden pole of the season on Saturday’s Qualifying. The Red Bull Driver missed out on getting the pole for the first time in six races with the Marcedes star taking the first place in the qualification by a bare margin of 0.003 seconds. McLaren’s Lando Norris took third place for the Sunday starting grid behind Hamilton and Verstappen.

The reigning two-time champion Verstappen was on a five-race streak of getting to the pole position in qualifying. But it came down to a stop with the seven-time champ taking his 104th pole in his rich legacy. Norris was on the provisional pole with 8 minutes to go in the final session, but he was surpassed by both Verstappen and Hamilton.

Hamilton’s first pole since 2021 Saudi Arabia

Moreover, this was the British Driver’s first pole in the sport since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP. He remained away from a first place finish in Qualifying in the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021 and the complete 2022 season. This was also Mercedes’ maiden pole of the year as they look to make a comeback into the season.

Here is the complete top 10 grid for the Sunday race

McLaren had a decent outing on Saturday as Oscar Piastri took the fourth place behind his teammate, followed by Zhou Guanyu’s Alfa Romeo in fifth. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc stayed out of the top five yet again as he took sixth ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso will be starting eighth on the grid ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas.

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