Lewis Hamilton managed to edge out his teammate Charles Leclerc for the quickest lap in the second free‑practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, underscoring Ferrari's strong showing on the opening day of the weekend. After Leclerc had comfortably out‑paced Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Hamilton in the Friday morning session, the seven‑time world champion made significant progress later in the day, converting a half‑second shortfall into a 0.158‑second lead over the Italian driver. The closest challenger to the Scuderia in the more representative second practice was reigning champion Lando Norris, who was just under half a second slower than Hamilton in his upgraded McLaren.
Norris' lap demonstrated that the McLaren package is beginning to find its rhythm, but the gap still highlighted Ferrari's current advantage at the Hungaroring. Hamilton commented on the day's work, noting, "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." His remarks reflected a typical Formula 1 approach: incremental gains, data‑driven adjustments, and a focus on tyre management and aerodynamic balance. Ferrari's speed on the tight, twisty layout of the Hungaroring was not entirely unexpected.
Many analysts had predicted that the circuit's low‑speed corners and emphasis on mechanical grip would suit the current Ferrari chassis. The Italian team will also be encouraged by the surprising difficulties encountered by championship leader Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes crew. Antonelli, the 19‑year‑old rookie who leads Hamilton by 45 points in the drivers' standings, missed the first practice session as Mercedes fulfilled a mandated rookie appearance. Upon returning for the second session, he struggled considerably, repeatedly running off the track due to rear‑wheel lock‑ups.
He ultimately recorded a best time that placed him 13th, nearly two seconds off the pace. His teammate, George Russell, managed a fifth‑place best lap, about a full second slower than Hamilton, despite setting a flying lap on fresh soft tyres. Max Verstappen, who had topped the opening session, was only about 0.7 seconds off Hamilton's best time in fourth place, while his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar occupied sixth.
This suggests that Red Bull still possesses competitive single‑lap speed, but the team will need to close the gap before qualifying. McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who also sat out the first practice, finished eighth, outpaced by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson.
Piastri's relative deficit to Norris may be explained by the fact that the Australian did not receive the full upgrade package that Norris enjoyed, highlighting the ongoing development race within McLaren's camp. Looking ahead, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all have the opportunity to extract further performance before the final practice session scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
on Saturday. Nevertheless, Ferrari has positioned itself as the clear favourite heading into 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 that lasted almost ten minutes after Franco Colapinto crashed heavily at the final corner, sending his Alpine into the barriers.
The incident underscored the unforgiving nature of the Hungaroring, where even a small mistake can result in significant damage. Aston Martin suffered a setback when Lance Stroll was unable to take part after his suspension broke during the first practice. The team's morale was further dampened as their ambitious 16‑part upgrade package, unveiled earlier in the week, was eclipsed by the mechanical failure.
Fernando Alonso showed signs of progress in his lone operational car during the second practice session. Although he finished behind the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac, who occupied 19th place and were roughly three seconds off the leaders, Alonso's lap time was a marked improvement. A faster lap he set was deleted for breaching track limits, but the Spanish veteran praised the car afterward, stating that it felt "much better" and lived up to the team's expectations. The weekend schedule continues with a packed lineup: Saturday, July 25, features the F3 Sprint at 9:00 a.m., the Hungarian GP Practice Three at 11:15 a.m.
(session start 11:30 a.m.), the F2 Sprint at 1:10 p.m., and the crucial qualifying session at 3:00 p.m., followed by post‑qualifying analysis. Sunday, July 26, includes the F3 Feature Race, Porsche Supercup, F2 Feature Race, and the Grand Prix itself, which kicks off at 2:00 p.m. on Sky Sports F1. Viewers can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract, with the option to cancel at any time.
In summary, the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend is shaping up to be a decisive chapter in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign. Ferrari's dominance in practice, Hamilton's rapid adaptation, and the challenges faced by Mercedes' rookie Antonelli all point to an intriguing battle for pole position and race victory. Teams will spend the night analysing telemetry, fine‑tuning suspension settings, and seeking any aerodynamic advantage they can find before the high‑stakes qualifying session that could reshape the championship leaderboard.