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The 2023 F1 Hungarian GP FP3 ended on one of the most enticing notes as Lewis Hamilton clinched the top spot with a lap time that was almost three-tenths quicker than anybody else.
Hamilton has been very successful on this track, but, even for him, to do that in the Mercedes W14 turned heads.
We had the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez behind the Briton in the standings, followed by Nico Hulkenberg pulling off another giant-killing act in the Haas.
After the final 60 minutes of running before qualifying, what did we learn? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Hungarian GP FP3:What did we learn?
#1. That Lewis Hamilton's lap was something else
Finishing qualifying a quarter of a second quicker than the Red Bull makes for an impressive feat this season. The fact that Lewis Hamilton has done it at the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP FP3 makes it even more pivotal. Since yesterday, the Mercedes driver has not sounded confident about the car under him.
In fact, Hamilton claimed on Friday that the W14 was "at its worst" in FP2. Well, the very first time the team took off the shackles (and the sandbags?), the car works like a charm. The car was hooked onto the track and looked brilliant.
Now, it might be too early to say that Mercedes have become a contender for pole, but what it does mean is that the team should be competitive in qualifying.
#2. The McLaren is a sneakily strong challenger in Hungary
Despite all the claims of McLaren struggling around the slow sections of the track and suggestions that the car could struggle at the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP, the timesheet tells us something else. The McLaren is a very strong contender in Hungary and there's no evidence of the car losing any of its competence in the last two races.
The lap that Lando Norris put together on the medium tire might just be even more impressive than what Hamilton managed in his Mercedes. While the true fuel loads and engine modes are not known, it's safe to assume that the McLaren duo will be in contention for a very impressive result at the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP.
#3. Red Bull have a challenge on their hands for qualifying
In line with what we stated yesterday, it does appear that the single-lap pace of the Red Bull is just not hooked up. The car continues to hold an advantage in the long-run pace and will be the favorite in the race, but when we talk about qualifying, hooking together a lap seems to be a headache.
Red Bull could be looking at a repeat of qualifying in Monaco, where Verstappen had to pull a rabbit out of the hat to secure pole position. The competition seems to be intense, and that is going to make things tough for the Dutchman to secure another pole.
The 2023 F1 Hungarian GP qualifying is going to be intense and we could see the Red Bull's pole position streak toppling this weekend.
#4. Aston Martin are struggling
It's hard to understand what's going on with Aston Martin. The team seems to have lost so much ground in the development battle that it's hard to understand what the reason is behind it. This is the same car that had a major upgrade in Canada and was so impressive that Fernando Alonso felt a win was possible.
Since then, the car has been falling down the pecking order at an alarming rate. Even in the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP, it would not be a surprise if Aston Martin is essentially the sixth fastest car. That is just the level it is showing right now when it comes to performance on short and long runs, and on a track like the Hungaroring, it just does not make any sense.
#5. Qualifying is going to be intense
The 2023 F1 Hungarian GP qualifying is going to be one intense affair. There's so much to keep an eye on. There's the battle between Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda at the back. There's a midfield battle for Q3. Then we have the battle at the front of the grid.
Which car looks good? Which car is struggling? Is McLaren a contender for pole? Is it Red Bull? Or is it Mercedes just like last year? Will Red Bull's long pole position streak, that has been going on since Baku, continue? If not, who snaps it? Who secures pole position for the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP? There are far too many questions that are going to keep the whole affair intense.
