Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has described his 104th pole position in F1 as “an amazing feeling”, having topped Qualifying for 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton overcame a difficult Friday Practice to top FP3 once he put the soft tyre on for the first time this weekend at the Hungaroring, which again paid dividends as he left it until the checkered flag in Q3 to snatch pole position from Max Verstappen by just 0.003 seconds to record his 104th pole in F1.
Speaking post Qualifying about claiming his first pole since 2021 Saudi Arabian GP and record ninth pole position at one circuit, Hamilton commented: “Pole position is an amazing feeling! I feel so grateful because the Team have worked so hard. We’ve been pushing so much over this time so to finally get pole position is great; it feels just like the first time.”
Hamilton proceeded to admit that pole position wasn’t on his radar after the first two practice sessions, as he added: “I didn’t expect that we’d be fighting for P1 coming here today. When I started my final lap, I gave it absolutely everything. There was nothing left in it.
From the heartbreak of missing out on a record eighth F1 title in Abu Dhabi in 2021 to failing to win a race last season, Hamilton reflected upon the “plenty of ups and downs” on the “roller-coaster ride” to get to this point as he iterated that he hasn’t “lost faith.”
The seven-time champion however iterated that this pole position is simply a “tough” matter of “focusing on trying to steer the car in the right direction.
On lining up alongside Verstappen with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri right behind the pair, Hamilton quipped: “It’s going to be difficult to fight Max and Lando but let’s see what we can do.”
Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff echoed Hamilton’s sentiments that the race will be “tough”, as he said: “We will be fighting tomorrow, and we know it will be tough. The long run pace of others looked strong but form in the race sometimes looks a little different to practice. We will be giving it everything we’ve got and see what our car is capable of.”
Wolff also spoke with pride at how “competitive” the car was as he praised Hamilton for his “amazing” pole lap, as he warned that the Brit excels when given the right car as he iterated: “If you give him a car, that’s what he can do.”