Lewis Hamilton managed to edge out his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc for the quickest lap in the second practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, underscoring Ferrari's dominance on the opening day of the weekend. After Leclerc had comfortably topped the first practice session, outpacing Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Hamilton, the seven‑time world champion showed a marked improvement later in the day, erasing a half‑second deficit to post a lap that was 0.158 seconds faster than his compatriot. The next closest challenger in the more representative FP2 was the reigning world champion Lando Norris, who, driving an upgraded McLaren, was just under half a second slower than Hamilton. Norris's performance highlighted the competitive gap that Ferrari currently enjoys at the Hungaroring, a circuit many analysts had already predicted would suit the Italian team’s aerodynamic package.
Speaking after his run, Hamilton described the day as "solid overall" but noted that the conditions were tricky. He mentioned that the wind was variable and that certain sections of the track felt bumpy, which made car control more demanding. "The car felt better in FP2 and we made some good progress between the sessions," he said. "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 was not entirely unexpected. The Hungaroring’s tight, twisty layout has historically favored cars with high down‑force and good mechanical grip—both of which are hallmarks of the current Ferrari design. However, the team’s confidence was further boosted by the surprising difficulties encountered by championship leader Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes crew.
Antonelli, the 19‑year‑old Italian rookie who currently leads Hamilton by 45 points in the drivers’ standings, missed the first practice session as Mercedes fulfilled a mandatory rookie driver slot. When he returned for FP2, he struggled considerably, repeatedly running off the track due to rear‑wheel lock‑ups. He ultimately posted a best time that placed him 13th, nearly two seconds off the pace of the leaders. His teammate, George Russell, was also off the pace, ending the session in fifth place, almost a full second slower than Hamilton despite setting a flying lap on fresh soft tyres.
Max Verstappen, who had topped the first practice session, was only seventh‑tenths of a second slower than Hamilton in FP2, finishing fourth. His Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar was positioned behind Russell in sixth.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who also sat out the first session, delivered a disappointing eighth‑place lap, being outpaced by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson. Piastri’s deficit to Norris could be partially explained by the fact that the Australian did not yet have the full upgrade package installed on his car. Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull still have time to extract more performance before the final practice session scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Ferrari has already cemented itself as the clear favourite for what is expected to be a pivotal qualifying session at 3:00 p.m., broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. The second practice session was briefly halted by a red flag after Franco Colapinto crashed heavily into the barriers at the final corner, bringing the session to a standstill for almost ten minutes. The incident served as a reminder of the Hungaroring’s unforgiving nature, where even a small mistake can lead to a significant impact.
Aston Martin also faced setbacks. Lance Stroll was absent from the session after his suspension broke during the first practice, compounding the team's already difficult season.
Their planned 16‑part upgrade package, which was meant to rejuvenate the car’s performance, was largely overshadowed by the mechanical failure. Fernando Alonso, driving for the team that has struggled to find a competitive edge, managed to show a glimmer of progress in FP2.
Despite finishing 19th, sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac, his lap was almost three seconds off the leaders but indicated that the car was becoming more predictable. A faster lap was later deleted for exceeding track limits, but Alonso commented that the car felt "much better" and seemed to meet the team's expectations for development. Looking ahead, the weekend schedule is packed with action: Saturday will feature the F3 Sprint at 9:00 a.m., followed by the final practice session at 11:30 a.m., the F2 Sprint at 1:10 p.m., and the crucial qualifying session at 3:00 p.m. Sunday will see the F3 Feature Race, the Porsche Supercup, the F2 Feature Race, and finally the Hungarian Grand Prix itself, which kicks off at 2:00 p.m.
all live on Sky Sports F1. Fans can also stream the coverage via NOW, with a flexible, contract‑free option that allows cancellation at any time. In summary, Hamilton’s fastest lap in FP2 underscores a shifting momentum in Budapest, with Ferrari asserting dominance while Mercedes grapples with rookie Antonelli’s unexpected challenges. The upcoming qualifying session promises to be a decisive moment for the championship battle, as teams fine‑tune their setups and strive for that extra tenth of a second that could make all the difference on race day.