Charles Leclerc was the fastest driver in Free Practice 1 ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Monegasque driver recorded a time of 1m 19.075s, placing him half a second clear of Verstappen. However, his session concluded prematurely due to a mechanical issue in the final 10 minutes, which caused his Ferrari to stop at the pit lane entry.
Many teams introduced upgrades for the event in Budapest. Drivers immediately took to the Hungaroring circuit when the session began at 13:30 local time. This session marked the start of the 40th Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
The session also featured five rookie drivers, including Fred Vesti in Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes. George Russell initially topped the times with a 1m 22.056s on medium Pirelli tyres, before Leclerc set a 1m 20.884s as the track improved. Verstappen then moved to the top with a 1m 20.788s, despite reporting issues with downshifts.
Practice Session Highlights
Leclerc faced a brief obstruction from Lewis Hamilton at Turn 12 before establishing a new benchmark of 1m 20.287s. Hamilton later moved into second position, three tenths behind. He noted that his car’s ride was too stiff. Colton Herta, driving for Cadillac in place of Valtteri Bottas, and Alex Albon’s Williams both experienced lock-ups at Turn 1.
Russell was the first to switch to soft tyres, setting a session-best 1m 20.066s, but Verstappen quickly surpassed this with a 1m 19.559s. Lando Norris was fastest in the opening sector but ran wide at Turn 11. Leclerc ultimately set the fastest time of 1m 19.075s on the red-walled tyre, putting him half a second ahead of Verstappen. Russell also had a significant lock-up at Turn 1 and expressed concerns 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. A suspected left-rear suspension failure caused him to spin. The session resumed with 17 minutes left, as teams focused on qualifying simulations with soft tyres. Carlos Sainz experienced a double-front lock-up at Turn 1.
Leclerc maintained his fastest time until the chequered flag, but his session ended seven minutes early when something broke in his Ferrari at Turn 13, bringing him to a halt at the pit lane entry. Verstappen finished ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Vesti, Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), and the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completing the top 10.
Norris finished in P11, followed by Esteban Ocon (Haas), Fernando Alonso in the upgraded Aston Martin, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Albon. Leonardo Fornaroli drove for McLaren in place of Oscar Piastri, testing a new rear wing. Ryo Hirakawa (for Ollie Bearman at Haas), Sergio Perez (Cadillac), Paul Aron (for Franco Colapinto at Alpine), Herta, Stroll, and Sainz completed the order before FP2 later on Friday.
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc LEC | 1:19.075 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen VER | +0.484s |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton HAM | +0.543s |
| 4 | Isack Hadjar HAD | +0.922s |
| 5 | George Russell RUS | +0.991s |
Second Practice Session
In the second practice session on Friday, Lewis Hamilton led a Ferrari one-two with his teammate Charles Leclerc at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton was 0.148 seconds ahead of Leclerc. McLaren’s Lando Norris secured third place, 0.499 seconds off the pace, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished fourth.
Fernando Alonso placed 19th fastest in the new Aston Martin. Team principal Adrian Newey described the car’s initial outing as “promising.” Alonso was 2.990 seconds off the pace, and a lap nearly 0.4 seconds faster was disallowed due to track limits at the final corner. Despite this, the performance indicated a notable improvement for Aston Martin.
The Ferrari team appeared to be in good form, which was anticipated given the track’s suitability for the car’s strong cornering capabilities. The team is still working to understand the unexpected failure on Stroll’s car, but it was not related to the upgrade, according to Newey. The area involved in the failure was not among the changed components. Newey noted that the team is short on spares due to different cladding. He added that oscillations were visible on both drivers’ onboard cameras during FP1, suggesting a return of Honda engine-related vibrations.
Newey confirmed that Hungary was the first part of Aston Martin’s chassis overhaul, with a second part planned for after the summer break at Zandvoort, coinciding with Honda’s engine upgrade. A third phase of the chassis upgrade is scheduled for either Monza or Baku in September. He stated that the provisional results are promising, and while it may not make them the quickest car, it represents a good step forward. The team’s immediate goal is to achieve a level of respectability.
Alonso’s best time in FP1 placed him 3.123% off the pace. The first part of the upgrade package is not yet fully optimized. Based on Alonso’s best sectors, Aston Martin’s first sector was the slowest among all teams, but its second and third sectors were the seventh best. Newey expressed confidence that Fernando is enjoying his time with the team and that their relationship will continue.
The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend continues with further practice sessions and qualifying.
Source: formula1.com
