As a result, the Red Bull F1 driver crossed the timing line in Q3 with seven seconds left to run but having circulated 0.02s slower than his previous effort.
That left the door open for Lewis Hamilton. In a shootout where track evolution was pronounced, he was the last person over the line and bolted to a 1m16.609s. That returned his 104th pole position and prevented Verstappen from snaring a sixth in a row. The Mercedes racer had hustled the W14 round the 2.72-mile Budapest lap 0.023s quicker than Verstappen’s final lap and 0.003s better than his rival's best.
Verstappen bemoaned the Alternative Tyre Allocation experiment come the end of Friday practice. He reckoned the mileage-limiting, tyre-saving incentive had left Red Bull to not fully understand its extensive upgrade, the RB19 having gained revised sidepod inlets, engine cover, floor edge and front and rear brake ducts. Exacerbated by wet weather disrupting FP1, he had been unable to find the balance sweet spot.
The GPS data from Verstappen’s best lap in Q3 - a 1m16.612s set with seven minutes remaining - gives him the slight edge over Hamilton into Turn 1. The RB19 carries an extra 1.25mph before hitting the anchors, although there’s virtually nothing to split the duo on the brakes. At the apex, Hamilton runs 2.5mph faster although that’s not enough to keep pace with Verstappen, who holds a 0.043s delta at the mid-point of the right-hander.
But this slender advantage is short-lived. Verstappen has a minor correction and lift. Once he's reapplied the throttle, it's enough to drop him 0.117s behind the Mercedes. Hamilton is able to hold that cushion for the run into Turn 2, but Verstappen fights back and transforms it into a 0.051s lead by running 5mph quicker on entry. Again, however, he suffers under power as Hamilton uses the shorter straight to move back in front by 0.04s.
To the exit of Turn 5, the medium-speed right at the bottom of the circuit, there's little to split the pair. But then Verstappen’s lap begins to fall apart. He loses some 0.178s through the chicane. The onboard camera reveals little - perhaps Verstappen is a little conservative at the change of direction. But there’s no major moment.
Source: Autosport