Lewis Hamilton quickest in final Hungarian GP practice

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Lewis HamiltonImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Hamilton has been fastest in all three practice sessions at the Hungaroring

Lewis Hamilton looks in good shape to score a vital pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix after setting the pace in final practice.

The Mercedes driver, who has not been on pole for five races, beat team-mate Nico Rosberg by 0.047 seconds.

Hamilton heads into Sunday's race wanting to cut Rosberg's 14-point championship advantage ahead of Formula 1's four-week summer break.

The Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo were third and fourth.

Rosberg had three attempts at setting a fast lap in the final minutes of the session and although he edged closer he could not beat Hamilton's mark.

The German set a time on his first lap that was 0.453secs slower than Hamilton's opening gambit but had lost time running wide at Turn 12.

He closed to within 0.229secs and then 0.047secs on his next two flying laps, while Hamilton returned to the pits before the end of the session.

The Englishman has been fastest in all three practice sessions at the Hungaroring this weekend.

BBC F1 analyst Allan McNish said: "He's been fast around here in the past but we have seen the situation before where Nico Rosberg can pull it out of the bag.

Media caption,

F1 forecast

"It is so close, it has only been 0.1secs on average all season, so it is a little early to say it's definitely going in the direction of Lewis Hamilton but it's going in the right way at the moment."

Williams' Valtteri Bottas was fifth, ahead of the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

Alonso was 0.049secs quicker than Raikkonen despite running wide at the first corner on his fastest lap.

McLaren's Kevin Magnussen was eighth, ahead of the Toro Rossos of Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat, the second Williams of Felipe Massa and Jenson Button's McLaren.

Button was 0.6secs slower than Magnussen and again appears to be struggling to match the Danish novice's pace.

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