Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying: Hamilton on Pole – Bottas second

Lewis Hamilton beats Valtteri Bottas to pole position at the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix delivering a Mercedes front row for round three of 2020.

Lewis Hamilton’s start in the delayed 2020 F1 circus wasn’t the best, but he redeemed himself at the Styrian Grand Prix with a stunning wet pole and a win from grid to flag. And the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix could go the same way.

The Mercedes were in a league of their own in qualifying in Hungary, with Hamilton beating Bottas to pole and locking out the front row. And it was Racing Point’s Lance Stroll chalking up a third place and team mate Sergio Perez making it a Racing Point second row too.

To keep things nice and neat, Ferrari locked out row three, with Sebastian Vettel taking fifth and Charles Leclerc sixth – both some way off looking like they could raise a challenge to Mercedes – and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen starts seventh, looking even less likely to harry the Mercedes’, and McLaren’s Lando Norris – currently sitting in third place in the championship after two surprisingly good outings – starts eighth.

Norris is also joined in the top ten starts by team mate Carlos Sainz in the McLaren in ninth, with the last place in the top 10 filled by Pierre Gasly in the AlphaTauri.

The race itself looks like it could be a Mercedes vs Mercedes race as the Mercedes team are chased by the Racing Points, whose 2020 cars look to be as close to Mercedes 2019 car as you could imagine. But it’s hard to see Verstappen making any impact from seventh – unless it’s raining – and Ferrari are still looking decidedly second division.