The first practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix proved to be highly eventful, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc showcasing an impressive pace before encountering technical difficulties. Leclerc outperformed Red Bull's Max Verstappen and his Ferrari teammate by half a second, achieving a best lap of 1:19.075. However, his session came to an abrupt end seven minutes early due to a reported issue with his SF-26 car, with Ferrari yet to confirm the cause. Aston Martin, meanwhile, unveiled 16 aerodynamic updates on their AMR26 car but suffered a setback when Lance Stroll's session ended prematurely due to a suspected rear suspension failure.
The Canadian driver spun off the track, but fortunately, his car avoided contact with the barriers. In contrast, Stroll's teammate Fernando Alonso completed the session without any apparent issues, finishing 13th fastest. The session also saw George Russell secure the fifth-fastest time, almost a second behind Leclerc, while Mercedes' third driver Fred Vesti took part in the session as part of the mandatory young driver requirements.
Other notable performances included Isack Hadjar finishing fourth quickest in the second Red Bull and reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli securing the 16th-fastest time in Oscar Piastri's McLaren. The session was not without controversy, as Verstappen and Williams' Carlos Sainz were summoned to the stewards following an incident early in the session, with Sainz receiving a formal warning for his driving. The Hungarian Grand Prix schedule continues with the second practice session, followed by qualifying and the main event on Sunday.