Lewis Hamilton finished Friday’s practice sessions for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the top, outpacing his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris in Free Practice 2 (FP2). Hamilton’s fastest time of 1m 18.729s secured his position, with Leclerc just 0.148 seconds behind him.
The session saw several teams working to fine-tune upgrades. Aston Martin, for instance, arrived in Hungary with significant updates, aiming to introduce what has been described as a B-spec car. However, the team faced challenges as Lance Stroll experienced a suspension issue during FP1, leading to his early exit from that session. Subsequently, Stroll did not participate in FP2 because his team lacked sufficient time to repair the damage sustained earlier in the day, leaving Fernando Alonso as Aston Martin’s sole representative.
McLaren also brought a substantial new package to the event, while Red Bull reintroduced their rotating rear wing. The 60-minute FP2 session, which commenced at 17:00 local time, was crucial for teams to gather data and assess their car’s performance.
Practice Session Highlights and Challenges
The session began with Cadillac and Alpine being among the first to take to the track in breezy conditions. Several drivers, including Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman, and Valtteri Bottas, made their first appearances after rookie counterparts participated in FP1.
Early in FP2, Charles Leclerc set an initial benchmark of 1m 20.103s on medium tyres before Lewis Hamilton improved on that time. The Ferrari pair demonstrated strong performance from the outset. However, not all drivers were content with their car’s behaviour. Pierre Gasly reported issues with his car, stating that “Something feels wrong on the car, it’s extremely bad. It just feels broken in Turn 12. Something with the front is wrong.”
As the wind picked up, balance around the circuit became a notable concern for several competitors. George Russell described his Mercedes as feeling “dreadful” and “so out of balance.” His teammate also commented on the car’s behaviour, mentioning he “almost spun twice on braking.”
Hamilton continued to improve his time, maintaining his hold on the top spot, despite ongoing complaints from other drivers. Leclerc, for example, experienced three lock-ups within the first 20 minutes before returning to the pits.
Red Flag Interruption and Final Standings
The session saw a shift to soft tyre runs, during which Lando Norris recorded the fastest lap at that point with a time of 1m 19.228s in his upgraded McLaren. However, the session was interrupted by a red flag when Franco Colapinto crashed. The Alpine driver lost the rear of his car at the final corner and spun into the barrier, necessitating an overnight repair job for his team. This incident occurred just before the halfway mark of the session.
After Colapinto’s car was recovered, qualifying simulation laps resumed. Ferrari demonstrated strong pace, with Leclerc briefly reclaiming the top spot with a 1m 18.877s, closely followed by Hamilton, who was just 0.037s behind. Hamilton then further reduced his time to 1m 18.729s, establishing an advantage of more than a tenth over his teammate. With the focus then shifting to long runs, Hamilton’s effort remained the best of the day, concluding FP2 ahead of Leclerc and Norris.
Max Verstappen secured fourth position for Red Bull after encountering debris from Alonso’s Aston Martin. He was followed by George Russell, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson. Oscar Piastri finished seventh, while Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10 positions.
The session also saw Gabriel Bortoleto in 11th for Audi, followed by Esteban Ocon. Kimi Antonelli, who did not complete a qualifying simulation lap in the second session, finished 13th. Pierre Gasly was 14th, ahead of Ollie Bearman and the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. The final positions included Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, and Franco Colapinto, whose damaged Alpine was at the bottom of the standings, while Lance Stroll remained in the garage for the entire session.
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton HAM | 1:18.729 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc LEC | +0.148s |
| 3 | Lando Norris NOR | +0.499s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen VER | +0.692s |
| 5 | George Russell RUS | +0.933s |
Source: formula1.com
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter