Hamilton leads Ferrari one-two in Hungarian Grand Prix practice

By George Aldridge — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

Lewis Hamilton secured the fastest time in the second practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, leading a Ferrari one-two on Friday at the Hungaroring. He finished ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc, with McLaren‘s Lando Norris taking third place.

Hamilton’s best lap was 0.148 seconds quicker than Leclerc’s. Norris was 0.499 seconds off Hamilton’s pace. Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen finished fourth in the session.

Aston Martin’s Upgrades and Challenges

Aston Martin arrived in Hungary with significant updates, introducing what has been described as a B-spec car. The team’s principal, Adrian Newey, noted a “promising” initial outing for the revised car, which retains its original engine, gearbox, and front suspension.

However, the session presented challenges for the team. Lance Stroll did not participate in the second practice after sustaining a suspension issue in the first session, which his team did not have sufficient time to repair. This left Fernando Alonso as Aston Martin’s sole representative on track.

Alonso, driving the heavily revised car, finished 19th fastest, nearly three seconds behind Hamilton’s leading time. He also had a lap, almost 0.4 seconds faster, disallowed due to exceeding track limits at the final corner. Despite the gap, this performance is considered a notable improvement for Aston Martin compared to their form for much of the season.

Session Dynamics and Incidents

The second practice session began at 17:00 local time and lasted 60 minutes. Several teams were focused on fine-tuning their upgrades, including McLaren, which also brought a substantial new package, and Red Bull, which reintroduced its rotating rear wing.

Early in the session, Leclerc initially set the benchmark with a time of 1 minute, 20.103 seconds on medium tyres. Hamilton then improved on this, going four-tenths faster. Conditions were breezy, and drivers reported difficulties with balance due to the wind. George Russell described his Mercedes as feeling “dreadful” and “so out of balance,” while his team-mate also noted issues, mentioning he “almost spun twice on braking.”

The session was interrupted by a red flag for approximately 10 minutes following a crash involving Franco Colapinto. The Alpine driver lost control at the final corner, spinning into the barrier and causing damage that will require an overnight repair for his team.

After the recovery of Colapinto’s car, qualifying simulation laps resumed. Leclerc briefly returned to the top spot with a lap of 1 minute, 18.877 seconds, with Hamilton just 0.037 seconds behind. Hamilton then further improved his time to 1 minute, 18.729 seconds, securing the fastest lap of the day.

Other drivers also faced difficulties. 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.” Leclerc experienced three lock-ups in the first 20 minutes before returning to the pits.

Team Performances and Standings

Ferrari’s strong performance was anticipated by some, given the Hungaroring’s characteristics, which are thought to suit the car’s cornering capabilities. Following Hamilton, Leclerc, and Norris, Max Verstappen secured fourth place after hitting debris from Alonso’s car.

Russell finished fifth, followed by Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. Oscar Piastri was seventh, with Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completing the top ten. Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship, finished 13th, nearly two seconds off the pace, after experiencing rear locking issues and running off track multiple times.

The session concluded with Gabriel Bortoleto in 11th, followed by Esteban Ocon, Antonelli, Gasly, Ollie Bearman, and the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Valtteri Bottas, Alonso, Sergio Perez, and Colapinto rounded out the standings, with Stroll remaining in the garage for the entire session.

Source: bbc.co.uk