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 timesheets in the first practice session, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Hamilton himself, the seven‑time world champion made significant progress later in the day. He turned a half‑second shortfall into a 0.158‑second lead over his teammate, showing that the British driver had found extra grip and balance as the track conditions evolved. The next closest challenger in the more representative second practice was the reigning world champion Lando Norris, who drove an upgraded McLaren and finished just under half a second behind Hamilton.
Norris's performance highlighted that the gap between Ferrari and the rest of the field, while still sizable, was not insurmountable for the top teams. 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." His remarks reflected both the satisfaction of a strong lap and the awareness that further refinements were needed before qualifying. Ferrari's pace at the Hungaroring was hardly a surprise; many analysts had predicted that the circuit's tight, twisty layout would suit the Italian team's aerodynamic philosophy. The team’s confidence was further boosted by the unexpected difficulties faced by championship leader Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes crew.
Antonelli, who had sat out the first practice session as part of Mercedes' mandatory rookie driver slot, returned to the track only to struggle with rear‑wheel lock‑ups, repeatedly running off the racing line. The 19‑year‑old Italian, who leads the standings by 45 points over Hamilton, ultimately recorded a lap that placed him 13th, nearly two seconds off the fastest time. His teammate George Russell, despite setting a fresh‑soft tyre flying lap, was almost a full second slower than Hamilton and could only manage fifth place.
Max Verstappen, who had been the benchmark in the opening session, found himself about 0.7 seconds off the pace in fourth place. His Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar trailed slightly behind Russell in sixth.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who also missed the first practice, delivered a disappointing eighth‑place effort, being outpaced by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson. Piastri's relative lack of performance was partially explained by the fact that his car did not receive the full upgrade package that Norris enjoyed, highlighting the importance of package parity within a team. While Ferrari currently sits as the clear favourite for the crucial qualifying session at 3 p.m. on Saturday, other manufacturers still have time to make gains.
Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull will analyse the data from FP2 and aim to close the gap before the final practice session at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The session was briefly halted by a red flag when Franco Colapinto crashed heavily at the final corner, prompting a nearly ten‑minute stoppage while marshals cleared the debris. Aston Martin also suffered a setback.
Lance Stroll was unable to take part after his suspension broke during the first practice, adding to a season that has been plagued by reliability issues. The team's ambitious 16‑part upgrade package, unveiled earlier in the weekend, was largely eclipsed by the mechanical failure.
Fernando Alonso, driving for the team that has struggled to find a competitive package, showed a glimmer of hope in FP2. Despite finishing 19th, just ahead of the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac, Alonso posted a lap that was almost three seconds slower than the leaders.
A faster lap he had set was later deleted for exceeding track limits, but he noted after the session that the car felt "much better" and that it lived up to the team's modest 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 Grand Prix at 11:30 a.m.
The F2 sprint is slated for 1:10 p.m., with qualifying for the Hungarian GP beginning at 3 p.m. The race itself is set for Sunday, July 26, with the main event starting at 2 p.m. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract.
In summary, Hamilton's fastest lap in FP2 demonstrates his ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions and extract performance from a car that, while not a Ferrari, remains highly competitive. Ferrari's strong showing, combined with the struggles of Mercedes' rookie Antonelli and the mechanical woes of Aston Martin, set the stage for an exciting qualifying session where the Hungarian Grand Prix could see a reshuffle of the front‑row order. The race weekend promises plenty of drama, with teams still seeking that extra tenth of a second that could make the difference between a podium finish and a midfield result.