Lewis Hamilton secured the top position in Friday’s practice sessions for the Hungarian Grand Prix, leading a Ferrari one-two. He finished ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris in Free Practice 2 (FP2).
The session saw several teams working to fine-tune upgrades. Aston Martin, for instance, arrived in Hungary with significant updates, effectively introducing a B-spec car. McLaren also featured a substantial new package, while Red Bull brought back their rotating rear wing. The 60-minute session began at 17:00 local time.
Practice Session Overview
Early in FP2, Lance Stroll was unable to participate due to damage sustained earlier in the day, leaving Fernando Alonso as the sole representative for Aston Martin. As Alonso gathered data on their revised car, Leclerc initially set a benchmark of 1m 20.103s on medium tires. Hamilton then improved upon this, going four-tenths faster.
The conditions were breezy, and several drivers reported issues with their cars. Pierre Gasly noted that something felt wrong with his car, describing it as “extremely bad” and “broken in Turn 12.” George Russell also found his Mercedes “dreadful” and “so out of balance,” while his teammate, Hamilton, mentioned almost spinning twice during braking. Despite these challenges, Hamilton improved his time to maintain P1.
The soft tire runs later in the session saw Norris record the fastest lap at 1m 19.228s in his upgraded McLaren. However, a red flag interrupted the session following a crash involving Franco Colapinto. Colapinto lost the rear of his car at the final corner and spun into the barrier, requiring overnight repairs for Alpine.
Ferrari’s Strong Showing and Driver Reactions
After the red flag, qualifying simulation laps resumed, with Ferrari demonstrating strong pace. Leclerc briefly reclaimed the top spot with a time of 1m 18.877s, with Hamilton just 0.037s behind. However, Hamilton further improved his time to 1m 18.729s, securing the best time of the day and ending FP2 ahead of Leclerc and Norris. Max Verstappen took fourth for Red Bull after hitting debris from Alonso’s Aston Martin.
George Russell acknowledged that Mercedes’ concerns about Ferrari’s strong pace at the Hungaroring were realized. He noted that Ferrari appeared to be a significant step ahead. Mercedes finished FP2 in fifth and 13th positions, with a gap of 0.9s to their main rivals. Russell described the track as “super bumpy” and “breaking up around the last couple of corners,” making it challenging to drive.
Leclerc expressed satisfaction with Ferrari’s performance, stating that he felt good with the car from the start. He acknowledged that while Friday was strong, the weekend is long, and teams often make performance jumps between Friday and Saturday. Hamilton also commented on the challenging conditions, particularly the wind, but noted that the car felt better in FP2 after making progress between sessions.
Other drivers also weighed in on Ferrari’s speed. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who finished sixth quickest, anticipated Ferrari would be fast on this type of track. Oscar Piastri, eighth quickest in a McLaren without the significant upgrade, also observed that the Ferraris looked very quick in both sessions. The Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying is scheduled for 3pm on Saturday, with the race at 2pm on Sunday.
Source: formula1.com
