Colapinto needs strong Sunday to advance in championship fight with Gasly and F1's midfield

Franco Colapinto is engaged in a tight personal championship battle within Formula 1, vying against his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and other drivers aiming for the midfield's top positions. While Colapinto did not gain ground on Saturday in Hungary, he also avoided losing positions, keeping the duel alive.

After a challenging Friday, the Argentine driver recovered some lost momentum. He qualified 13th for the Hungarian Grand Prix, just behind Gasly, who was 12th. Colapinto expressed hope of securing a point, similar to his performance the previous week in Belgium.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix by a mere thousandth of a second over Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified third. This marks the first pole of the season not secured by a Mercedes car, though it utilizes Mercedes power. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth.

The Alpine team, lacking recent upgrades, is reportedly falling behind competitors vying for fifth place in the constructors' championship. Both Alpine drivers are finding it increasingly difficult to score points, with the cars struggling for single-lap speed, though they perform slightly better in race conditions.