Ahead of today's qualifying session the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 53 degrees. There is some rain on the radar but it is not expected to affect the session.
If we take it as done that the McLarens are going to fill the front row, the question has to be what will be happening behind.
Well, on the evidence thus far, Ferrari has to be looking good, with Aston Martin having taken a significant step forward.
Preoccupied as it seeks to rediscover its early season form, Mercedes won't be helped by the increasing temperatures, while Red Bull appears to be at sixes and sevens. Then again, the Austrian team has never really liked this track.
While Williams and RB are struggling, Stake is looking strong, with Haas and Alpine yet to really show their hands.
Other than the heat, and the intermittent wind, traffic is set to be a problem over the next hour along with track limits.
The lights go green but there is no immediate rush to action.
Eventually, the sound of Sainz' Mercedes fills the air. The Spaniard is followed by his Williams teammate.
Heading into Turn 1 for the start of his flyer, Sainz locks-up which will not help his cause. His teammate is also struggling.
Sainz crosses the line at 18.282 while Albon responds with a 17.441.
Verstappen, Tsunoda, Norris, Piastri, Ocon and the Ferraris are next out, possibly prompted by the distant, darkening skies.
Verstappen crosses the line at 16.346 and Tsunoda 16.534.
However, Norris responds with a 15.927 and Piastri a 15.554.
Ocon goes fifth ahead of the Williams pair, but is demoted when Hamilton (15.949) goes third and Stroll fourth.
Leclerc can only manage sixth, as Alonso goes fourth and Hadjar fifth.
Antonelli goes second with a 15.782 but is demoted when his Mercedes teammate stops the clock at 15.627.
Sainz can only improve to fifteenth, though he is demoted to the drop zone by his teammate.
Hulkenberg runs wide in Turn 12 spreading gravel on to the track.
The Aston Martin pair get the final assault underway, Stroll leading the way.
As they begin their flying laps, they are joined by the McLarens and Red Bulls.
Stroll goes quickest in S1, but Alonso goes quicker. Stroll posts a 15.673 to go third, while Alonso goes top (15.281) having been quickest in all three sectors.
Ocon warns that there is a screw stuck to his front right tyre.
Piastri goes top with a 15.211 while Norris's 15.523 is only good enough for third.
Verstappen goes sixth, Hadjar third and Tsunoda ninth.
Hulkenberg goes twelfth, Bortoleto fifth and Sainz seventh.
Gasly goes thirteenth and Colapinto eleventh, while Albon fails to make the cut.
Bearman goes tenth, Hamilton ninth and Leclerc fifth.
At the death Lawson goes fourteenth, which is bad news for Tsunoda.
Quickest is Piastri, ahead of Alonso, Hadjar, Norris, Leclerc, Bortoleto, Russell, Sainz, Stroll and Hamilton.
We lose Tsunoda, Gasly, Ocon, Hulkenberg and Albon.
Delayed by five minutes due to gravel on the track, Antonelli finally gets Q2 underway. He is followed by Russell, Stroll, Alonso and Bearman.
"Ugh, these guys," complains Colapinto, stuck at the back of the queue in the pitlane as fans in the stands put up umbrellas and reach for their ponchos.
Antonelli posts a 16.386, while his teammate responds with a 16.057.
Stroll posts a 15.680 and Alonso a 15.395, the Spaniard quickest in all three sectors.
Bearman goes third, Lawson fifth and Bortoleto seventh.
Hadjar goes third and Verstappen sixth.
Norris stops the clock at 14.890, as Sainz goes ninth.
Hamilton goes ninth while Piastri can only manage second, 0.051s down on his teammate.
Leclerc goes tenth, both Ferraris on used rubber unlike the McLarens, Aston Martins, Hadjar and Bearman.
Colapinto has his timer deleted and therefore has yet to post a time.
"Focus please on one thing," urges Leclerc, "and that is to go out as soon as possible. Don't care about anything else."
Stroll heads out for the final assault.
PBs in all three sectors see Stroll improve to third with a 15.129.
Chaos in the pitlane as Sainz attempts to force his way into the queue.
Bearman goes fifth as Leclerc runs a little wide in Turn 4.
Leclerc goes fifth, Hamilton seventh, Lawson sixth and Hadjar sixth.
Antonelli goes eighth, Russell fourth and Verstappen eighth which h is bad news for Hamilton.
Bortoleto goes tenth, thereby demoting Antonelli.
"There's no rear," says the Italian, "I don't know, what the heck!"
While Alonso opted not to run, countryman Sainz fails to make the cut.
"Every time, every time," sighs a despondent Hamilton.
Norris is quickest, ahead of Piastri, Stroll, Russell, Alonso, Leclerc, Hadjar, Verstappen, Lawson and Bortoleto.
We lose Bearman, Hamilton, Sainz, Colapinto and Antonelli who has his final time deleted.
Check out our Saturday gallery from the Hungaroring here.
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