Ferrari Dominate First Day of Hungarian GP Practice as Hamilton Leads Leclerc in FP2
Ferrari ended the opening day of practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the top of the timesheets, with Lewis Hamilton leading team-mate Charles Leclerc in FP2 after Leclerc had set the pace in the morning session. The strong showing reinforces expectations that the Hungaroring's tight, corner-heavy layout could suit the Ferrari SF-26, with the Scuderia emerging as the team to beat on Friday.
Leclerc began the day in commanding fashion, setting a 1:19.075 in FP1 to finish ahead of Max Verstappen and Hamilton. The Ferrari driver was nearly half a second clear of Verstappen, while Hamilton completed the top three. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and Mercedes' George Russell rounded out the top five.
The picture changed slightly in FP2, although Ferrari remained firmly at the front. Hamilton lowered the benchmark to 1:18.729, with Leclerc just 0.148 seconds behind. Lando Norris moved McLaren into third, followed by Verstappen and Russell. The result leaves Ferrari with both drivers at the top of the Friday timesheets, while McLaren and Red Bull appear to be the closest challengers.
The session was not without difficulties. Leclerc's car had stopped in the pit lane during FP1 with an issue that Ferrari subsequently worked to resolve, while Aston Martin's Lance Stroll was unable to participate in FP2 after his FP1 incident. Stroll had suffered what appeared to be a rear suspension problem, leaving the team without enough time to repair his car before the second session. Alpine's Franco Colapinto also brought out a red flag in FP2 after losing the rear of his car at the final corner and hitting the barriers.
Conditions proved challenging throughout the day, with gusty winds and low grip contributing to several off-track moments. Kimi Antonelli, who missed FP1 while Frederik Vesti drove his Mercedes, struggled for confidence under braking in FP2, while Williams' Alex Albon also had a moment of oversteer.
The rookie running programme also provided valuable mileage, with Fornaroli, Hirakawa, Aron and Herta all taking part in FP1 before the regular drivers returned for FP2.
With Ferrari showing strong pace over both sessions and Hamilton ending the day on top, the Scuderia has made the strongest possible start to a weekend that could offer its best opportunity yet to challenge Mercedes. However, with Verstappen, Norris and Russell all within striking distance, Saturday's final practice and qualifying will reveal whether Ferrari's Friday advantage can translate into pole position