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Charles Leclerc and Lewis
Hamilton set the fastest times in the first and second free practice
sessions respectively. Not only did the Ferrari drivers top the timesheets
across the two hours of track action, they also proved to be the quickest on
both the Soft and Medium compounds.
In FP1, the majority of drivers
opted for the Medium (C4) tyre for their initial runs, while only the two
Cadillacs and the Aston Martins took to the track on the Hard (C3). Towards
the end of the session, Leclerc set the benchmark time on the Soft (C5),
stopping the clocks at 1:19.075. The Monegasque also led the way on the C4
with a lap of 1:20.287.
In the second session, it was Ferrari
team-mate Lewis Hamilton who finished on top with a time of 1:18.729, again
set on the Soft compound. He was followed by Leclerc and Lando Norris, both
also running on the red-walled tyre. The seven-time World Champion was also
the fastest driver on the Medium in the same session, posting a 1:19.585.
During the opening phase of FP2, the focus was largely on the Hard and
Medium tyres. Alex Albon completed the highest number of laps on a set of
C3s, covering 26 tours, while George Russell and Valtteri Bottas each
managed 23 laps on the C4. Among those who ran the Soft, Leclerc was the
most productive, completing 18 laps on the C5.
Ambient temperatures
remained around 25°C, while track temperatures peaked at 46°C. Very similar
conditions are expected for tomorrow’s qualifying session.
Simone Berra: Chief Engineer:
"We will get a clearer picture tomorrow once the teams have completed their
analysis of today’s data, but the indications from the opening two hours of
free practice suggest there is still uncertainty over the number of pit
stops we are likely to see in Sunday’s race. Six teams have retained two
sets of Hard tyres, while all the others have already used at least one, a
sign that there is not yet a unanimous view on the best way to tackle the
Hungarian Grand Prix.
Given the higher level of degradation observed
during the second session, when the drivers pushed harder, a two-stop
strategy appears capable of offering an advantage over a one-stop race.
However, the difficulty of overtaking at the Hungaroring must also be taken
into account, as track position remains a decisive factor at this circuit.
Track grip was relatively low throughout the day, and the Soft proved to
be the compound that best showcased the performance of the cars, thanks to
the greater mechanical grip it delivered from the very first laps. By
contrast, the Medium showed a degree of graining on the front-left tyre.
In general, protecting the rear axle is crucial at this circuit, while
managing an inevitable level of front tyre degradation, which should
nevertheless decrease as the track continues to evolve over the course of
the weekend. The performance gap between the Soft and Medium compounds was
around eight tenths of a second, in line with pre-event simulations.
Attention now turns to the opening phase of qualifying tomorrow, where it
will not be easy for the drivers to identify the optimal window for both the
preparation lap and the flying lap on such a short circuit."
FORMULA 2:
For the second time this Formula 2 season, Kush Maini claimed pole position.
The ART Grand Prix driver was marginally quicker than Rafael Camara, who
qualified second. As a result, the championship leader will start Sunday’s
race from the front row in P2. Noel León secured third place. Before that,
however, attention turns to Saturday’s Sprint Race, in which the top 10
qualifiers will line up on the reversed grid. The compounds selected for the
Hungarian weekend are the Medium and Soft, the same choice as last year. In
the 2025 Feature Race, eight drivers started on the Medium tyre and fourteen
on the Soft.
FORMULA 3
With a lap of 1:33.411, Tuukka Taponen secured pole position in Formula 3 on
Friday. The Finn narrowly edged out Freddie Slater, who posted a time of
1:33.451. Mattia Colnaghi stopped the clocks at 1:33.475 to claim the
third-fastest time. The Medium compound has been selected for the Hungarian
Grand Prix weekend.
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