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

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Sean Kelly
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Hamilton Hungary

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.

READ MORE: Mercedes take their first pole position of 2022 as Russell sets the pace in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying

  • 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.

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  • 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.

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