Lewis Hamilton finished Friday’s practice sessions for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the top, outpacing his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris in Free Practice 2 (FP2).
The session saw several teams working to fine-tune upgrades, including Aston Martin, which had to contend with a suspension issue for Lance Stroll during FP1. Many teams aimed to maximise their time in the 60-minute session, which began at 17:00 local time.
Aston Martin arrived in Hungary with significant updates, essentially introducing a B-spec car. McLaren also brought a substantial new package, while Red Bull reintroduced their rotating rear wing.
Early in the session, Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman, and Valtteri Bottas made their first appearances after rookie counterparts participated in FP1. Stroll did not participate in FP2 as his team lacked sufficient time to repair the damage sustained earlier, leaving Fernando Alonso as the sole representative for Aston Martin.
As Alonso gathered data on their revised car, Leclerc initially set a benchmark of 1m 20.103s on medium tyres. Hamilton then improved, going four-tenths faster. Despite strong initial performances from the Ferrari pair, some drivers expressed dissatisfaction with their cars. Pierre Gasly reported issues with his car, stating, “Something feels wrong on the car, it’s extremely bad. It just feels broken in Turn 12. Something with the front is wrong.”
The increasing wind made circuit balance a challenge. George Russell described his Mercedes as “dreadful” and “so out of balance,” while his teammate noted nearly spinning twice under braking. Hamilton improved his time to maintain his lead, but complaints persisted from competitors, including Leclerc, who experienced three lock-ups early in the session.
During the soft tyre runs, Norris recorded the fastest lap of the session in his upgraded McLaren with a time of 1m 19.228s. However, a red flag interrupted the session when Colapinto crashed. Colapinto lost the rear of his car at the final corner and spun into the barrier, necessitating overnight repairs for Alpine.
After the recovery of Colapinto’s car, qualifying simulation laps resumed. Leclerc briefly reclaimed the top spot with a 1m 18.877s, with Hamilton just 0.037s behind. Hamilton then further reduced his time to 1m 18.729s, securing the best time of the day and ending FP2 ahead of Leclerc and Norris.
Max Verstappen finished fourth for Red Bull after encountering debris from Alonso’s Aston Martin. He was followed by Russell, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson. Piastri secured seventh, with Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.
Gabriel Bortoleto, driving for Audi, finished 11th, followed by Esteban Ocon, Antonelli, Gasly, Bearman, and the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. The session concluded with Bottas, Alonso, Sergio Perez, and Colapinto, while Stroll remained in the garage.
Team Performances and Issues
Ferrari appeared to be in good form, which was anticipated given the track’s suitability for the car’s cornering performance. However, Mercedes, with Russell in fifth and championship leader Antonelli in 13th, seemed to have areas to address. Antonelli did not complete a qualifying simulation lap in the second session, abandoning one due to Colapinto’s crash and another due to an error.
Antonelli reported rear brake locking throughout the session. Despite this, he matched Norris’s time in the first sector on both of his curtailed laps. Alonso finished 19th in the new Aston Martin, with team principal Adrian Newey describing its initial outing as “promising” for a car that is new apart from its engine, gearbox, and front suspension. Alonso’s lap, nearly 0.4s faster, was disallowed due to track limits at the final corner.
The day presented challenges for Aston Martin. Stroll spun out of the first session with what was initially thought to be a rear suspension failure. He was unable to participate in the second session due to insufficient time for repairs. There was some uncertainty regarding the nature of the issue, as Aston Martin initially cited a “suspected rear left suspension issue” but later stated his suspension “wasn’t damaged.”
Verstappen noted a “super stiff” rear axle and a lack of rear grip during his medium-tyre long run. He also collected debris on track, though no major damage was reported. Alonso also complained of vibrations from the Honda power unit in his car.
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton HAM | 1:18.729 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc LEC | +0.148s |
| 3 | Lando Norris NOR | +0.499s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen VER | +0.692s |
| 5 | George Russell RUS | +0.933s |
Further clarity on the issues experienced by Aston Martin was expected later in the day.
Source: formula1.com
