Budapest, 23 July 2023 (PA Media/dpa/MIA) - Lewis Hamilton said he held his breath for the 76.6 seconds it took him to capture his first pole position in 595 days for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

 

The seven-time world champion held off Red Bull foe Max Verstappen by just three thousandths of a second as he danced his Mercedes to top spot in an exhilarating qualifying session at the Hungaroring.

 

Lando Norris finished third following another impressive afternoon for the rising McLaren star, one spot ahead of his team-mate Oscar Piastri. George Russell managed only 18th on a day to forget for the Mercedes man.

 

Hamilton's one-lap triumph here – described as a work of art by his old rival Nico Rosberg – is his first since the penultimate fixture of the contentious 2021 season in Saudi Arabia, 33 races ago.

 

The following round in Abu Dhabi – where Hamilton was denied a record eighth world title by Michael Masi's controversial refereeing – marked the last time he started a race from the front row. Verstappen began from pole on that contentious evening in the desert. On Sunday, it will be Hamilton's turn.

 

Hamilton roared with delight over the team radio before holding his head in his hands and then saluting the raucous crowd as he stood on top of the front-right tyre of the Mercedes machine which carried him to his ninth pole in Hungary and 104th in all. A cursory handshake for Verstappen followed.

 

"I've lost my voice from shouting so much in the car," said Hamilton, moments after stepping out of his cockpit.

 

In the official press conference reserved for the top-three drivers, Hamilton added: "I forgot what it feels like to sit in this spot. He [Verstappen] has been hogging it for a while.

 

"I don't think I breathed for the whole lap, I held my breath. I was so out of breath at the end. It is an extraordinary feeling.

 

"I have not been here for such a long time. Even with the success I have had before, and this is my 104th pole, it feels like the first. It is hard to explain how special it feels."

 

Hamilton trailed Verstappen by 0.126 sec prior to the concluding runs. But he usurped the Dutch driver, who failed to improve on his last lap, with his final throw of the dice. He was the last man to cross the line.

 

"I witnessed those special moments and the days he used to have, and today was one of those," said Rosberg, who beat Hamilton to the 2016 title.

 

"That lap is like perfection, it is art. Only Lewis Hamilton can do that."

 

Hamilton has won more times in Hungary than anybody else, and claimed his first victory in Mercedes colours at this venue a decade ago.

 

"Last year we were nowhere," said Hamilton. "I have always had belief that if we apply ourselves the right way we would get there, and it was just a question of how long that would be?

 

"But we started this season with the twin sister or twin brother of the previous year's car. It felt identical and that was worrying.

 

"When you lose that confidence you shed a lot of time. I had no confidence in the car. It was so nervous, and it felt like I was treading on eggshells.

 

"I started out this season with very little confidence, but bit-by-bit I got the thing on the right tracks, so the confidence has finally come back.

 

"We have been on this journey of undoing the wrong decisions we have taken and it has taken far longer than we hoped, but we are starting to see those benefits."

 

Converting his 104th pole into his 104th victory will not be an easy task for Hamilton. Verstappen has won eight of the 10 rounds so far and his Red Bull team are unbeaten this season.

 

"We tend to have decent race pace," concluded Hamilton. "Max's race pace yesterday in practice was quite extraordinary. They were quicker than us.

 

"But if there is a way to hold position then maybe there is a fighting chance for us. I am as keen as I am to win tomorrow as I did for my first win in Montreal in 2007."

 

Photo: EPA