Charles Leclerc of Ferrari recorded the fastest time in Free Practice 1 ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver finished ahead of Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen and Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc set a lap time of 1m 19.075s, placing him half a second clear of Verstappen before encountering a mechanical issue in the final 10 minutes of the session.
The issue caused Leclerc’s Ferrari to stop at the pit lane entry with seven minutes remaining in the session. Despite this setback, he maintained his top position on the timing screens. The session saw many teams introduce upgrades in Budapest, with drivers immediately taking to the Hungaroring circuit at 13:30 local time.
Five rookie drivers participated in the session, including Fred Vesti in Kimi Antonelli‘s Mercedes. George Russell, Hamilton’s teammate, initially led the times with a 1m 22.056s on medium Pirelli tyres. Leclerc then improved to a 1m 20.884s as the track conditions improved. Verstappen later took the lead with a 1m 20.788s, despite reporting issues with downshifts.
Leclerc was briefly impeded by Hamilton at Turn 12 before setting a new benchmark of 1m 20.287s around the 15-minute mark. Hamilton moved into second place, three tenths behind, but expressed concerns about his car’s stiffness. Colton Herta, driving for Cadillac in place of Valtteri Bottas, and Alex Albon in his Williams, both experienced lock-ups at Turn 1.
Russell was the first to switch to soft tyres just before the halfway point, setting a new session best of 1m 20.066s. However, Verstappen quickly surpassed this with a 1m 19.559s. Lando Norris was fastest in the opening sector but ran wide at Turn 11, causing him to back off. Leclerc then lowered the best time to 1m 19.075s on soft tyres, putting him half a second ahead of Verstappen. Russell also had a significant lock-up at Turn 1 and complained about his Mercedes’ ride.
With just over 20 minutes remaining, a red flag was deployed when Lance Stroll‘s Aston Martin stopped at the exit of Turn 3. The car, which featured significant revisions, suffered a left-rear suspension failure, leading to a spin. The session resumed with 17 minutes left, with teams focusing on qualifying simulations using soft tyres. During this period, Carlos Sainz experienced a double-front lock-up at Turn 1.
Aston Martin had introduced 16 new upgrades for the Hungarian Grand Prix, effectively bringing a new car to Budapest in an effort to improve their season performance. The upgrade package had been anticipated for weeks. However, Stroll’s early incident, which occurred after just 11 laps, marked a difficult start for the revamped car. The left rear wheel assembly appeared loose when his car came to a halt.
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin team boss, confirmed that the issue was a rear suspension problem. He noted that this specific part of the car was not part of the new upgrade. Newey also mentioned a shortage of spare parts, which could limit Stroll’s participation in the weekend’s events. He stated that the team was working to understand the exact cause of the failure.
Despite Stroll’s setback, teammate Fernando Alonso finished FP1 in 13th position, 2.475 seconds off the fastest pace. This result was considered an improvement for Aston Martin compared to their earlier season performances. Aston Martin later confirmed that Stroll would not participate in Friday’s second practice session as the investigation continued, which will limit the mileage of the new upgrade ahead of Saturday’s track running.
Aston Martin has been in a competitive battle with newcomers Cadillac in 2026 and has faced challenges in progressing beyond the opening qualifying session, Q1. Newey downplayed early analysis of the upgrade, emphasizing that it was still very early to fully understand the new package. He noted that the provisional results were promising and that this was only the first part of a planned upgrade, with further steps anticipated in Zandvoort and later in Monza-Baku.
The team has been careful with parts due to shortages and is focused on learning about the new package. From winter testing, it was evident that Aston Martin and new engine partner Honda faced significant challenges. Newey opted for a complete overhaul for the Hungarian Grand Prix, rather than a gradual introduction of upgrades. The tight and twisty Budapest circuit is considered a good test for aerodynamics.
Verstappen finished the session ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar securing a top-four spot for Red Bull. Other drivers in the top 10 included Russell, Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Vesti, Nico Hulkenberg in the second Audi, and the two Racing Bulls drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson. Norris was in P11, followed by Esteban Ocon (Haas), Alonso, Alpine‘s Pierre Gasly, and Albon.
Reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli participated for McLaren, testing the team’s new ‘flip-flop’-style rear wing. Ryo Hirakawa (for Ollie Bearman at Haas), Sergio Perez (Cadillac), Paul Aron (for Franco Colapinto at Alpine), Herta, Stroll, and Sainz completed the order ahead of FP2 later on Friday.
Source: formula1.com
