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

A Formula 1 car takes part in the first practice session for the 2026 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in Mogyorod, Hungary, on July 24, 2026. Source: Anadolu

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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