George Russell showed impressive pace in the rain-affected Free Practice 1 session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, but it was Charles Leclerc who emerged as the fastest driver in the dry Free Practice 2.
In FP1, the session was red-flagged early on after Sergio Perez crashed his Red Bull into the tyre wall at Turn 5. The Mexican driver dropped a wheel off the track, causing him to spin and heavily damage the front-left corner of his car. When the session restarted, rain began to fall, leading to limited running on intermediate tyres. Russell and Oscar Piastri battled for the fastest time, with Russell eventually coming out on top with a lap time of 1m38.795s.
Several drivers encountered issues in FP1, including Valtteri Bottas who spun his Alfa Romeo at Turn 12. Carlos Sainz also caused a red flag after spinning his Ferrari and getting stuck on the grass. Max Verstappen, Perez, Lewis Hamilton, and Daniel Ricciardo were among the drivers who failed to set a time.
FP2 saw dry conditions, leading to a busy session as teams took advantage of the improved track. Logan Sargeant set the early pace on soft tyres, but Norris quickly beat his time. However, it was Leclerc who ultimately topped the timesheets with a lap time of 1m17.686s, just 0.015s ahead of Norris. Pierre Gasly finished third fastest, followed by Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon.
Verstappen struggled to find his rhythm and only managed the 11th quickest time, while Perez continued to struggle and ended up in 18th place. Russell, who impressed in FP1, had a difficult session and ended up as the slowest driver.
Overall, Leclerc’s performance in FP2 suggests that Ferrari has made progress, while Russell’s pace in the rain demonstrates his potential. The final practice session and qualifying will provide more insights into each team’s performance ahead of Sunday’s race.
