Lewis Hamilton secured the fastest time in Friday’s practice sessions for the Hungarian Grand Prix, leading a Ferrari one-two at the Hungaroring. Hamilton finished 0.148 seconds ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc in the second practice session. McLaren’s Lando Norris was third, nearly half a second behind Hamilton, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen placed fourth.
The practice sessions saw several teams working on upgrades. Aston Martin introduced a B-spec car, and McLaren also brought a substantial new package. Red Bull, meanwhile, utilised their rotating rear wing.
Practice session highlights
The second practice session began at 17:00 local time, with several drivers making their first appearance after rookie counterparts participated in the initial session. These included Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman, and Valtteri Bottas. Lance Stroll of Aston Martin did not participate in the second session due to damage sustained in the first practice.
Leclerc initially set a benchmark time of 1m 20.103s on medium tyres before Hamilton improved upon it. Despite strong performances from the Ferrari pair, some drivers reported difficulties with their cars. Pierre Gasly noted an issue with his car, stating it felt “broken” in Turn 12, while George Russell described his Mercedes as “dreadful” and “so out of balance” due to increasing wind conditions.
Hamilton further improved his time, maintaining his lead. Leclerc experienced three lock-ups early in the session before returning to the pits. Norris then recorded the fastest lap of the session on soft tyres with a time of 1m 19.228s. However, a red flag interrupted the session when Colapinto crashed his Alpine at the final corner, leading to an overnight repair job for his team.
Following the red flag, qualifying simulation laps resumed. Leclerc briefly took the top spot with a time of 1m 18.877s, with Hamilton just 0.037s behind. Hamilton then lowered his time to 1m 18.729s, securing the best time of the day. Verstappen finished fourth, followed by Russell, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson. Piastri was seventh, with Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completing the top ten.
Aston Martin’s performance
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finished 19th in the second practice, nearly three seconds off the pace. His lap, which was almost 0.4 seconds faster, was disallowed due to track limit infringements at the final corner. Despite the low position, team principal Adrian Newey described the new car’s initial outing as “promising.”
The team’s new car, which retains its engine, gearbox, and front suspension from the previous model, represents a significant step forward for Aston Martin, who have struggled for much of the season. Stroll’s absence from the second practice session meant Alonso was the sole representative for Aston Martin, providing data on their heavily revised car.
The struggles of championship leader Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes team were also notable. Antonelli, who leads Hamilton by 45 points in the standings, finished 13th after experiencing rear locking issues and repeatedly running off track. Russell, his team-mate, was almost a full second behind the lead time despite using fresh soft tyres.
The focus now shifts to final practice and qualifying sessions, with Ferrari appearing to be strong contenders at the Hungaroring.
| Rank | Driver | Number | Fastest Lap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 1 | Lewis Hamilton HAM Ferrari Ferrari | 44 44 | 1:18.729 1:18.729 | 26 26 |
| 2 2 | Charles Leclerc LEC Ferrari Ferrari | 16 16 | 1:18.877 1:18.877 | 30 30 |
| 3 3 | Lando Norris NOR McLaren McLaren | 1 1 | 1:19.228 1:19.228 | 30 30 |
| 4 4 | Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Red Bull | 3 3 | 1:19.421 1:19.421 | 27 27 |
| 5 5 | George Russell RUS Mercedes Mercedes | 63 63 | 1:19.662 1:19.662 | 30 30 |
| 6 6 | Isack Hadjar HAD Red Bull Red Bull | 6 6 | 1:19.800 1:19.800 | 20 20 |
| 7 7 | Liam Lawson LAW Racing Bulls Racing Bul… | 30 30 | 1:20.041 1:20.041 | 29 29 |
| 8 8 | Oscar Piastri PIA McLaren McLaren | 81 81 | 1:20.101 1:20.101 | 28 28 |
| 9 9 | Nico Hulkenberg HUL Audi Audi | 27 27 | 1:20.125 1:20.125 | 30 30 |
| 10 10 | Arvid Lindblad LIN Racing Bulls Racing… | 41 41 | 1:20.253 1:20.253 | 29 29 |
| 11 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto BOR Audi Audi | 5 5 | 1:20.474 1:20.474 | 27 27 |
| 12 12 | Esteban Ocon OCO Haas Haas | 31 31 | 1:20.557 1:20.557 | 26 26 |
| 13 13 | Kimi Antonelli ANT Mercedes Mercedes | 12 12 | 1:20.693 1:20.693 | 30 30 |
| 14 14 | Pierre Gasly GAS Alpine Alpine | 10 10 | 1:20.816 1:20.816 | 24 24 |
| 15 15 | Oliver Bearman BEA Haas Haas | 87 87 | 1:20.950 1:20.950 | 28 28 |
Source: bbc.co.uk
Dominic Hayes is the Sports News Writer at NewsGB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with five years of reporting experience. He started on a north-east sports desk. He holds a degree in Journalism from Teesside University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Middlesbrough, he follows pro golf and amateur boxing. “Fast and accurate is the only standard worth keeping.”
