Charles Leclerc of Ferrari recorded the fastest time in Free Practice 1 for the Hungarian Grand Prix, outpacing Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen. However, Leclerc’s session concluded prematurely due to a mechanical issue that brought his car to a halt in the pit lane entry.
Leclerc posted a lap time of 1 minute, 19.075 seconds, placing him half a second ahead of Verstappen. The incident occurred in the final 10 minutes of the session, with seven minutes remaining when his car stopped at Turn 13.
Many teams introduced upgrades at the Hungaroring circuit, which is set to host its 40th Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. Drivers immediately took to the track when the session began at 13:30 local time.
Practice Session Highlights
The session saw the participation of five rookie drivers, including Fred Vesti in Kimi Antonelli‘s Mercedes, while the Drivers’ Championship leader observed the opening one-hour session. George Russell, Leclerc’s teammate and title rival, initially moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1 minute, 22.056 seconds lap on medium Pirelli tyres. Leclerc then set a 1 minute, 20.884 seconds lap as the track surface improved.
Verstappen briefly took the lead with a 1 minute, 20.788 seconds lap, despite reporting issues with downshifts. He had previously backed off an earlier flying lap due to Carlos Sainz‘s Williams being on the racing line into Turn 12. Both drivers’ erratic driving will be investigated after the session. Leclerc also encountered a brief blockage by Lewis Hamilton at Turn 12 before setting a new benchmark of 1 minute, 20.287 seconds.
Hamilton moved into second place, three tenths behind, but expressed concerns about his car’s stiff ride. Colton Herta, driving for Cadillac in place of Valtteri Bottas, and Alex Albon in a Williams both experienced lock-ups at Turn 1.
Russell was the first to switch to soft tyres before the halfway point, setting a session-best 1 minute, 20.066 seconds, which was soon surpassed by Verstappen’s 1 minute, 19.559 seconds. Lando Norris was fastest in the opening sector but ran wide at Turn 11, causing him to back out.
Leclerc then lowered the best time to 1 minute, 19.075 seconds on soft tyres, putting him half a second ahead of Verstappen. Russell also had a significant lock-up at Turn 1 and complained about his Mercedes‘ ride.
With just over 20 minutes remaining, a red flag was deployed when Lance Stroll‘s Aston Martin stopped at the exit of Turn 3 due to a left-rear suspension failure. The session resumed with 17 minutes left, as teams focused on Qualifying simulations. Sainz experienced a double-front lock-up at Turn 1.
Leclerc maintained his fastest time at the chequered flag. Verstappen finished ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar securing a top-four spot for Red Bull. The top 10 included Russell, Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Vesti, Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), and the two Racing Bulls drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson.
Norris finished in 11th place, followed by Esteban Ocon (Haas), Fernando Alonso in an Aston Martin with new upgrades, Alpine‘s Pierre Gasly, and Albon. Leonardo Fornaroli, the reigning Formula 2 champion, tested McLaren‘s new ‘flip-flop’-style rear wing. Other drivers completing the order before FP2 included Ryo Hirakawa (Haas), Sergio Perez (Cadillac), Paul Aron (Alpine), Herta, Stroll, and Sainz.
Friday Practice Two Results
In Friday’s second practice session, Hamilton led a Ferrari one-two, finishing 0.148 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Norris secured third place, 0.499 seconds behind, while Verstappen was fourth. Alonso finished 19th in his Aston Martin, 2.990 seconds off the pace, despite having a lap nearly 0.4 seconds faster disallowed due to track limits at the final corner.
| Rank | Driver | Number | Fastest Lap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 1 | Charles Leclerc LEC Ferrari Ferrari | 16 16 | 1:19.075 1:19.075 | 19 19 |
| 2 2 | Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Red Bull | 3 3 | 1:19.559 1:19.559 | 25 25 |
| 3 3 | Lewis Hamilton HAM Ferrari Ferrari | 44 44 | 1:19.618 1:19.618 | 23 23 |
| 4 4 | Isack Hadjar HAD Red Bull Red Bull | 6 6 | 1:19.997 1:19.997 | 25 25 |
| 5 5 | George Russell RUS Mercedes Mercedes | 63 63 | 1:20.066 1:20.066 | 21 21 |
| 6 6 | Gabriel Bortoleto BOR Audi Audi | 5 5 | 1:20.360 1:20.360 | 30 30 |
| 7 7 | Frederik Vesti Frederik Vesti Mercedes… | 72 72 | 1:20.467 1:20.467 | 24 24 |
| 8 8 | Nico Hulkenberg HUL Audi Audi | 27 27 | 1:20.623 1:20.623 | 29 29 |
| 9 9 | Arvid Lindblad LIN Racing Bulls Racing… | 41 41 | 1:20.760 1:20.760 | 28 28 |
| 10 10 | Liam Lawson LAW Racing Bulls Racing Bul… | 30 30 | 1:20.866 1:20.866 | 28 28 |
| 11 11 | Lando Norris NOR McLaren McLaren | 1 1 | 1:21.024 1:21.024 | 26 26 |
| 12 12 | Esteban Ocon OCO Haas Haas | 31 31 | 1:21.051 1:21.051 | 24 24 |
| 13 13 | Fernando Alonso ALO Aston Martin Aston… | 14 14 | 1:21.550 1:21.550 | 20 20 |
| 14 14 | Pierre Gasly GAS Alpine Alpine | 10 10 | 1:21.704 1:21.704 | 29 29 |
| 15 15 | Alexander Albon ALB Williams Williams | 23 23 | 1:21.819 1:21.819 | 28 28 |
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin team principal, described the car’s first outing as “promising,” noting that it featured new components apart from its engine, gearbox, and front suspension. Ferrari appeared to be in good form, which was anticipated on a track that suits the car’s cornering performance.
Source: formula1.com
