Lewis Hamilton finished Friday on top at the Hungaroring after setting the fastest lap in the second free practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. With several teams using rookie drivers during FP1, FP2 offered the first real indication of the competitive order ahead of qualifying, and Ferrari ended the day with an impressive one-two finish.
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FP2 Becomes the Key Friday Session
The opening practice session did not provide the full picture because several teams gave track time to young drivers as part of Formula 1’s rookie driver programme. As a result, the second practice session became much more important, with the regular race drivers returning to their cars and teams focusing on qualifying pace and long-run performance.
Among the drivers back in action were Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto and Valtteri Bottas, all of whom missed FP1.
Ferrari Leads the Way
Ferrari looked competitive throughout the session. Charles Leclerc was among the fastest drivers during the early runs on medium tyres before the field switched to soft compounds for qualifying simulations.
Lewis Hamilton then delivered the quickest lap of the day with a 1:18.729, finishing 0.148 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Lando Norris placed third for McLaren, while Max Verstappen finished fourth for Red Bull. George Russell completed the top five despite reporting balance issues with his Mercedes during the session.
The result gave Ferrari a one-two finish at the top of the timesheets after Friday’s running and suggested the team has found good pace around the Hungaroring.
Red Flag Stops the Running
The session was briefly interrupted by a red flag after Franco Colapinto crashed at the final corner. The Alpine driver lost control of his car, spun backwards into the barriers and was unable to continue. The incident brought qualifying simulations to a temporary stop before marshals cleared the track.
Aston Martin also experienced a difficult afternoon. Lance Stroll did not take part in FP2 after the team was unable to repair the damage caused by his suspension problem during the first practice session. Fernando Alonso therefore completed the session as the team’s only driver on track.
Teams Focus on Long Runs
After the qualifying simulations, teams switched their attention to race pace and tyre management. No driver managed to improve on Hamilton’s benchmark time before the end of the session.
Behind the top five, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Oscar Piastri, Nico Hülkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten.
While Friday practice does not decide the outcome of the Hungarian Grand Prix, FP2 provided the clearest indication so far of the current performance order. Ferrari ended the day with both drivers at the front, while McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes continued gathering valuable data ahead of Saturday’s final practice session and qualifying.
The full results of the free practices according to FIA.com:
