Lewis Hamilton managed to edge out his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc for the quickest lap in the second practice session at the Hungaroring, underscoring Ferrari's dominance on the first day of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. After Leclerc had comfortably topped the opening Friday session, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Hamilton, the seven‑time world champion made significant progress later in the day. By the end of the second practice, Hamilton had erased a half‑second gap and posted a 0.158‑second advantage over his compatriot, signalling that the Mercedes was finally finding its rhythm on the bumpy, wind‑laden circuit. The only driver who came close to challenging the Scuderia’s pace in the more representative FP2 was the reigning champion Lando Norris.
Norris, running an upgraded McLaren, was just under half a second slower than Hamilton, a respectable margin given the differing aerodynamic packages. Hamilton commented on the session, saying, "It was a solid day overall. The conditions were quite challenging, with the wind making things a bit tricky and the track feeling quite bumpy in some places. The car felt better in FP2 and we made some good progress between the sessions, although there are still a few areas we need to improve.
We'll go through all the data overnight, keep working on the balance and hopefully find a bit more performance for tomorrow." Ferrari's strong showing at the Hungaroring was hardly a surprise; many analysts had predicted that the circuit’s medium‑speed corners and relatively smooth surface would suit the Italian team's aerodynamic philosophy. However, the team received an additional boost from the unexpected difficulties faced by championship leader Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes crew. Antonelli, who had sat out the first practice to fulfill Mercedes' rookie driver requirement, returned for FP2 only to struggle repeatedly, running off the track several times due to rear‑wheel lock‑up. The 19‑year‑old, who currently leads Hamilton by 45 points in the drivers' standings, finished a disappointing 13th, almost two seconds off the pace.
His teammate, George Russell, was also off the pace, posting a time that placed him fifth, roughly a full second slower than Hamilton despite using fresh soft tyres for a flying lap. Max Verstappen, who had been the fastest driver in the opening session, could only manage fourth place in FP2, trailing Hamilton by about 0.7 seconds. His Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar, was positioned sixth, just behind Russell.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who also missed the first practice, ended up eighth. He was out‑paced by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, but the gap to his own teammate Norris may be explained by the fact that Piastri’s car did not receive the full upgrade package that Norris enjoyed. While Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull still have time to extract additional performance before the final practice session scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Ferrari has already cemented its status as the clear favourite for what many consider one of the season’s most pivotal qualifying sessions, set for 3 p.m.
on Saturday and broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. The second practice session was briefly halted by a red flag when Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto crashed heavily at the final corner, causing a stoppage of nearly ten minutes. Aston Martin also faced setbacks. Lance Stroll was unable to take part in FP2 after his suspension broke during the first practice, adding to a season that has been marred by reliability problems.
The team’s ambitious 16‑part upgrade package, which was unveiled earlier in the weekend, was largely eclipsed by the mechanical failure. Fernando Alonso, driving for the team that fielded a single working car, managed to show signs of progress in FP2. He finished 19th, sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac, and was nearly three seconds off the leaders’ pace.
A faster lap was deleted after Alonso exceeded track limits, but he expressed optimism after the session, noting that the car felt "much better" and lived up to the team’s expectations. Looking ahead, the schedule for the remainder of the weekend is packed. On Saturday, the F3 Sprint will kick off at 9 a.m., followed by the final practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix at 11:30 a.m., the F2 Sprint at 1:10 p.m., and the crucial qualifying session at 3 p.m. The Sunday program includes the F3 Feature Race, the Porsche Supercup, the F2 Feature Race, and finally the Hungarian Grand Prix itself, which starts at 2 p.m.
All sessions will be streamed live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to watch via NOW without a contract and with the ability to cancel at any time. In summary, the second practice at the Hungaroring highlighted Ferrari’s current superiority, Hamilton’s resurgence, and the challenges still facing Mercedes and other rivals.
With data still to be analysed overnight and further setup changes expected, the upcoming qualifying session promises to be a decisive moment in the championship battle, especially as the midfield teams continue to fight for every fraction of a second on this technically demanding circuit.