They should wrap up the champion’s trophy and hand it to Lewis Hamilton now.
The Briton produced a stunning lap in the rain by putting himself not merely on pole for the Hungarian Grand Prix but half a world apart from other finest men racing on Saturday.
Sebastian Vettel, his principal challenger, was so far back, in fourth, that the disparity is a mark of an important difference between them, one that should be remembered when history is written and drivers are assessed. Vettel was more than half a second back from the Brit after a cautious tip-toe around in the wet.
Lewis Hamilton shone in wet conditions to take pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Hamilton led his second-placed Mercedes team-mate, Valterri Bottas, by a quarter of a second. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest.
Hamilton is now expected to extend his 17-point lead in the championship in the 70-lap race, with a dry afternoon forecast.
Perhaps Vettel felt he had to be cautious given how he crashed in wet conditions while leading the German Grand Prix last weekend. He never looked likely to overcome Hamilton on Saturday, or indeed any of the trio above him.
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was a major casualty of the intensifying rain. The Australian failed to set a good enough opening fast lap in the second session and had no realistic chance of improving on 12th place later on, the conditions having become unplayable.
The changing weather – from spots of rain to heavier stuff – made tyre selection difficult. Whether to go on intermediates or full wets?
McLaren’s Fernando Alonso was exasperated by the sodden conditions as it pelted down, telling his pit wall: ‘Put what tyres you want on. The last sector is impossible. Even if you put on a rocket ship we will not improve.’ He was 11th then and stayed 11th.
A thunder storm blacked out the electric timing screens in the press room and cut the internet connection for three or four minutes as the first session ended. A clap of thunder sounded like a bullet shot.
By then Force India’s disappointing weekend – which started with the British-based team being placed into administration in a London court – had continued with both their drivers eliminated early on.
Sergio Perez, who is demanding £3million from owner Vijay Mallya in unpaid fees, was 19th quickest of 20, ahead of only Williams’s Sergey Sirotkin. Esteban Ocon, in the other Force India, was 18th.
The team hope to find a buyer to save 400-plus jobs at their Silverstone-based factory, with five possible investors in contention. One of those is the Canadian fashion billionaire Lawrence Stroll, father of Williams driver Lance.
Stroll Jnr spun in the wet – one of the least unexpected events in the history of sport.
Stoffel Vandoorne, of McLaren, was a dismal 16th, a place behind Stroll.