Leclerc leads Verstappen in Hungary FP1 before Ferrari issue
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari recorded the fastest time in Free Practice 1 for the Hungarian Grand Prix, outpacing Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen. Leclerc posted a time of 1 minute 19.075 seconds, placing him half a second ahead of Verstappen. However, his session concluded prematurely when his Ferrari experienced a mechanical issue in the final 10 minutes, bringing the car to a stop in the pit lane entry.
The session saw many teams introduce upgrades, leading drivers to quickly take to the Hungaroring circuit. The event marks the 40th Hungarian Grand Prix. Five rookie drivers participated, including Fred Vesti in Kimi Antonelli‘s Mercedes, while Antonelli, the Drivers’ Championship leader, observed.
Initially, George Russell, Leclerc’s teammate and title rival, set the pace with a 1 minute 22.056 seconds lap on medium Pirelli tyres. Leclerc then improved with a 1 minute 20.884 seconds as the track conditions improved. Verstappen later took the lead with a 1 minute 20.788 seconds, despite reporting issues with downshifts. Leclerc was briefly impeded by Lewis Hamilton before setting a new benchmark of 1 minute 20.287 seconds.
Hamilton moved into second place, three-tenths behind, but noted his car’s ride was too stiff. Colton Herta, driving for Cadillac in place of Valtteri Bottas, and Alex Albon in his Williams, both experienced lock-ups at Turn 1. Russell was the first to switch to soft tyres, setting a 1 minute 20.066 seconds lap, which Verstappen quickly surpassed with a 1 minute 19.559 seconds.
Lando Norris was fastest in the first sector but ran wide at Turn 11, causing him to back off. Leclerc then set his fastest time of 1 minute 19.075 seconds on soft tyres, putting him half a second clear of Verstappen. Russell also had a significant lock-up at Turn 1 and commented on his Mercedes’ ride.
With just over 20 minutes remaining, a red flag was deployed after Lance Stroll‘s Aston Martin stopped at Turn 3 due to a left-rear suspension failure, leading to a spin. The session resumed with 17 minutes left, as teams focused on Qualifying simulations. Carlos Sainz experienced a double-front lock-up at Turn 1.
Leclerc maintained his fastest time until the end of the session, though his run concluded with seven minutes remaining due to a problem with his Ferrari at Turn 13. Verstappen finished ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar securing a top-four spot for Red Bull. Russell, Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Vesti, Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), and the two Racing Bulls drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, completed the top 10.
Norris finished P11, followed by Esteban Ocon (Haas), Fernando Alonso, who was using Aston Martin‘s new upgrade, Alpine‘s Pierre Gasly, and Albon. Leonardo Fornaroli, the reigning Formula 2 champion, drove for McLaren in place of Oscar Piastri, testing a new rear wing. Ryo Hirakawa (for Ollie Bearman at Haas), Sergio Perez (Cadillac), Paul Aron (for Franco Colapinto at Alpine), Herta, Stroll, and Sainz completed the order before FP2 later on Friday.
In Friday practice, Hamilton led Leclerc to a Ferrari one-two, with Hamilton 0.148 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Norris was third, 0.499 seconds off the pace, and Verstappen finished fourth. Alonso ended the day 19th fastest in the new Aston Martin, with a lap nearly 0.4 seconds faster disallowed due to track limits at the final corner.
Ferrari appeared to be in good form, which was anticipated given the track’s suitability for the car’s strong cornering performance. Alonso’s team principal, Adrian Newey, described the new car’s initial outing as promising, despite its significant time difference from the front-runners. The new Aston Martin features a new design, retaining only its engine, gearbox, and front suspension from previous iterations.
The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend continues with further practice sessions and qualifying.
Source: formula1.com
