Ferrari dominated Friday at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend in Formula 1, leading both practice sessions at the Hungaroring. Charles Leclerc was the quickest in FP1, while Lewis Hamilton commanded a Ferrari one-two in FP2.
Hamilton posted a 1:18.729 in the second session, beating Leclerc by 0.148s. Lando Norris finished third, nearly half a second off the pace, followed by Max Verstappen and George Russell, a result that cast Ferrari as the main benchmark ahead of FP3 and Saturday’s qualifying.
Gabriel Bortoleto also had a positive start in Budapest. The Brazilian put Audi in sixth place in FP1 and finished FP2 in 11th, highlighting that the team managed to gather useful data to drive improvements for the remainder of the weekend.
The Red Bull, meanwhile, ended the day with balance issues. Verstappen complained about rear grip and radioed that the rear axle had locked again, while Isack Hadjar acknowledged the advantage Ferrari showed.
Aston Martin also drew attention by introducing a broadly revised version of the AMR26, after taking advantage of a late-night exemption to complete the assembly. Lance Stroll missed FP2 due to a suspension issue, but early data indicated the car’s evolution, including changes to the chassis, aerodynamics, and weight reduction.
