Ferrari made an emphatic start to the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton topping the two Friday practice sessions at the Hungaroring. While the Italian team controlled the opening-day Hungaroring F1 highlights, championship leader Kimi Antonelli struggled for pace and confidence in his Mercedes.
Ferrari set the standard at the Hungaroring
Leclerc led the opening practice session with a lap of 1:19.075, finishing 0.484 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen. Hamilton took third place in the second Ferrari, giving the team an encouraging start at the circuit in Mogyoród, just outside Budapest.
The session did not end entirely smoothly for Leclerc. A mechanical problem forced him to stop near the pit-lane entrance during the final ten minutes, leaving Ferrari with additional checks to complete before FP2. Lance Stroll also suffered a rear-suspension failure, spinning his upgraded Aston Martin and causing a red flag.
Ferrari’s advantage became even clearer in the afternoon. Hamilton set the fastest lap of the day with a 1:18.729, beating Leclerc by 0.148 seconds and completing a Ferrari one-two. Lando Norris finished third for McLaren, followed by Verstappen and George Russell.
Formula 1’s official FP1 highlights and FP2 highlights show the main moments from Friday’s running.
Antonelli’s difficult first day in Hungary
Antonelli missed FP1 as Mercedes gave reserve driver Frederik Vesti an opportunity behind the wheel. Vesti finished seventh, while Russell placed fifth.
The championship leader returned for FP2 but encountered serious balance and braking problems. Antonelli reported that he had nearly spun twice under braking and repeatedly locked the rear wheels. He eventually finished only 13th, 1.964 seconds behind Hamilton and more than a second slower than Mercedes teammate Russell.
The second practice session was interrupted when Franco Colapinto lost control of his Alpine at the final corner and crashed backwards into the barrier. Stroll did not participate as Aston Martin continued repairing the damage caused by his FP1 suspension failure.
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Hungaroring F1 highlights: FP1 results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time/gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:19.075 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.484s |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.543s |
| 4 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | +0.922s |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.991s |
| 6 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.285s |
| 7 | Frederik Vesti | Mercedes | +1.392s |
| 8 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +1.548s |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1.685s |
| 10 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.791s |
| 11 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +1.949s |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.976s |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +2.475s |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +2.629s |
| 15 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +2.744s |
| 16 | Leonardo Fornaroli | McLaren | +2.815s |
| 17 | Ryo Hirakawa | Haas | +2.926s |
| 18 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +3.014s |
| 19 | Paul Aron | Alpine | +3.093s |
| 20 | Colton Herta | Cadillac | +4.043s |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +4.396s |
| 22 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +4.659s |
Hungarian Grand Prix FP2 results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time/gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:18.729 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.148s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.499s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.692s |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.933s |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | +1.071s |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.312s |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +1.372s |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +1.396s |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1.524s |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.745s |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.828s |
| 13 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.964s |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +2.087s |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +2.221s |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +2.244s |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +2.697s |
| 18 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +2.713s |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +2.990s |
| 20 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +3.063s |
| 21 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +3.802s |
Ferrari leave Friday as the early team to beat, although both Hamilton and Leclerc have cautioned that Mercedes could still be highly competitive in qualifying. Antonelli, meanwhile, faces an important final practice session as he attempts to recover from an unusually difficult start to the Hungarian weekend.
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