Lewis Hamilton managed to edge past his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to claim the quickest time in the second practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, underscoring Ferrari's dominance on the first day of action at the Hungaroring. After Leclerc had comfortably topped the opening Friday session, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Hamilton himself, the seven-time world champion made significant progress later in the day, shaving half a second off his earlier deficit and ending the session with a 0.158‑second advantage over the Italian driver. The closest challenger to the Scuderia in the more representative second practice was reigning world champion Lando Norris, who, in an upgraded McLaren, was just under half a second slower than Hamilton. Norris's performance highlighted the competitive gap that Ferrari currently enjoys, but also suggested that the British driver could still be in contention if the balance of his car improves.
Speaking after his fast lap, Hamilton described the day as "solid overall" but noted that the conditions were tricky. "The wind was gusty and the track felt a little bumpy in places, which made it harder to find a consistent rhythm," he said.
"The car felt better in FP2 and we made 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 not entirely unexpected; many analysts had predicted that the circuit’s medium‑speed corners and relatively low‑downforce layout would suit the Italian team's aerodynamic package. However, the team received an additional boost from the surprising difficulties experienced by championship leader Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes squad.
Antonelli, the 19‑year‑old Italian rookie who currently sits 45 points behind Hamilton in the drivers' standings, missed the first practice session as Mercedes fulfilled a mandated rookie driver stint. When he returned for the second session, he struggled considerably, repeatedly running off the track due to rear‑wheel lock‑up. His lap times placed him only 13th, almost two seconds off the pace, a stark contrast to the front‑running times set by the Ferraris. Mercedes teammate George Russell fared slightly better, posting a lap that put him in fifth place, but even his effort was nearly a full second slower than Hamilton's benchmark.
Russell’s performance, while respectable, highlighted the challenge Mercedes faces in matching Ferrari’s current form at this venue. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had topped the first practice, was unable to replicate that speed in the second session, ending up fourth and trailing Hamilton by roughly 0.7 seconds.
His teammate, Isack Hadjar, occupied sixth place, indicating that Red Bull still possesses strong single‑lap potential but may need to fine‑tune the car’s balance for the upcoming qualifying. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who also sat out the opening session, finished eighth, outpaced by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson. Piastri’s deficit to teammate Lando Norris could be attributed to the Australian not having received the full upgrade package that Norris’s car benefitted from, suggesting that McLaren’s performance envelope may expand once the upgrades are fully integrated. Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all have a window of opportunity to extract more performance before the final practice session scheduled for 11:30 am on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Ferrari has already positioned itself as the clear favourite for what is expected to be a pivotal qualifying session at 3 pm, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. The second practice session was briefly halted by a red flag after Franco Colapinto crashed heavily on his Alpine at the entry to the final corner, causing a stoppage of almost ten minutes. The incident served as a reminder of the Hungaroring’s narrow run‑off areas and the precision required from drivers.
Aston Martin also faced setbacks. Lance Stroll was absent from the session after his suspension broke during the first practice, compounding a challenging season for the team. Their planned 16‑part upgrade package was largely eclipsed by the mechanical failure, leaving the team with limited data to work with. Fernando Alonso, driving for the team that fielded a single working car in the second practice, showed modest signs of progress.
He finished 19th, sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac, and was nearly three seconds off the pace. A faster lap he set was deleted for exceeding track limits, but the Spanish veteran expressed optimism, stating that the car felt "much better" and met the team’s expectations for development. Looking ahead, the weekend schedule is packed with support races and key sessions. On Saturday, the day begins with the F3 Sprint at 9 am, followed by the final practice session for the Grand Prix at 11:30 am, and the F2 Sprint later in the afternoon.
Qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix starts at 3 pm, with the race itself slated for 2 pm on Sunday, July 26. Additional events include the F3 Feature Race, Porsche Supercup, and the F2 Feature Race, all of which will be streamed live on Sky Sports Main Event. In summary, Ferrari’s commanding performance in the first two practice sessions has set the tone for the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
While Hamilton’s fastest lap demonstrates that the Mercedes driver can still extract strong pace, the Italian team’s overall package appears best suited to the Hungaroring’s demands. The upcoming final practice and qualifying will be crucial in determining whether Ferrari can convert this early advantage into a pole position and, ultimately, a race win. Fans can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 or stream the coverage via NOW, with flexible subscription options that allow cancellation at any time.