LECLERC LEADS FERRARI 1-2 FIGHT IN HUNGARIAN GP FP1
Charles Leclerc topped the opening Free Practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix, giving Ferrari a strong start to the weekend at the Hungaroring. The Monegasque driver finished ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, showing promising pace on the opening day of running.
The session featured several rookie drivers taking part in FP1, with Frederik Vesti replacing Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, Leonardo Fornaroli driving Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, Paul Aron taking over Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, Ryō Hirakawa replacing Oliver Bearman at Haas and Colton Herta making his Formula 1 session debut with Cadillac.
Ferrari arrived in Hungary with a further evolution of its rotating rear wing, known as the “Macarena wing”. The team used FP1 to compare different solutions, with Leclerc running the updated version while Hamilton tested a more standard specification. The data collected will help Ferrari decide which configuration to use during the rest of the weekend.
From the first runs, Ferrari showed competitive pace. After the initial laps on medium tyres, Leclerc led the session ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen, while Audi and Racing Bulls continued to show strong performance in the midfield.
When the teams switched to soft tyres for qualifying simulations, the order changed several times. George Russell was one of the first drivers to improve, before Verstappen lowered the benchmark further. However, Ferrari quickly responded, with Leclerc setting the fastest lap of the session and going below the 1:19 mark.
Hamilton finished third, around six tenths behind his teammate, while Russell placed fifth for Mercedes. McLaren focused on testing its updated package, with Lando Norris running the new development parts while rookie Leonardo Fornaroli had a different specification, using mainly the updated rear wing.
The session was interrupted by two incidents. Lance Stroll stopped on track with what appeared to be a possible suspension issue, bringing out the red flag. The problem was a setback for Aston Martin, especially as the team introduced its updated AMR26 package in Hungary.
Shortly after the restart, Carlos Sainz also had a moment when he locked up heavily at Turn 1 and stopped his Williams. The Spanish driver was able to continue without major issues.
In the final part of the session, teams focused on race simulations. Ferrari tested different tyre strategies, with Leclerc running on used soft tyres and Hamilton completing a longer run on mediums. Hamilton’s race pace appeared competitive, while Verstappen’s Red Bull struggled slightly compared to Ferrari during the long runs.
Leclerc’s session ended with a small issue after he reported a possible problem with his Ferrari over the radio, limiting his final running. Despite that, Ferrari leaves FP1 with positive signs ahead of the rest of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
Behind the top teams, Audi and Racing Bulls once again showed strong midfield pace, while Aston Martin will need to investigate Stroll’s issue before FP2 as it continues the evaluation of its new package.
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