Hungary GP: Hamilton tops FP2 ahead of Leclerc

By Rohan Gupta — 24 July 2026 — 4 min read

Lewis Hamilton secured the fastest time in the second free practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, outpacing his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third in the session, which saw a red flag interruption.

The 60-minute session, which began at 17:00 local time, was crucial for several teams looking to fine-tune upgrades. Among them was Aston Martin, which introduced significant updates, essentially a B-spec car, in an effort to improve its position in the midfield. McLaren also brought a substantial new package, while Red Bull reintroduced their rotating rear wing.

Session Highlights and Incidents

The session began with Cadillac and Alpine taking to the track in breezy conditions. Several drivers, including Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman, and Valtteri Bottas, participated after rookie counterparts had driven in FP1.

Lance Stroll of Aston Martin did not take part in FP2. His team was unable to repair suspension damage sustained earlier in FP1, leaving Fernando Alonso as the sole representative for Aston Martin. Alonso continued to gather data on their revised car, which featured significant changes apart from its engine, gearbox, and front suspension.

Early in the session, Leclerc set an initial benchmark of 1 minute 20.103 seconds on medium tyres, with Hamilton then going four-tenths faster. Despite strong initial performances from the Ferrari pair, some drivers reported difficulties. Pierre Gasly noted issues with his car, stating, “Something feels wrong on the car, it’s extremely bad. It just feels broken in Turn 12. Something with the front is wrong.”

As the wind picked up, balance became a challenge for many. George Russell described his Mercedes as “dreadful” and “so out of balance,” while Hamilton also questioned his car’s behavior after nearly spinning twice on braking. Despite these challenges, Hamilton improved his time to maintain the top position.

Leclerc also faced difficulties, experiencing three lock-ups in the first 20 minutes before returning to the pits. The soft tyre runs saw Norris temporarily set the fastest lap of the session with a time of 1 minute 19.228 seconds in his upgraded McLaren.

The session was red-flagged when Franco Colapinto crashed. The Alpine driver lost the rear of his car at the final corner and spun into the barrier, requiring overnight repairs for his team. This incident interrupted several drivers, including Antonelli, who was on a flying lap.

Resumption and Final Standings

After Colapinto’s car was recovered, the qualifying simulation laps resumed. Ferrari demonstrated strong pace, with Leclerc briefly reclaiming the top spot with a time of 1 minute 18.877 seconds. Hamilton then slotted in just 0.037 seconds behind his teammate.

However, Hamilton further improved his time to 1 minute 18.729 seconds, establishing an advantage of more than a tenth over Leclerc. This time remained the best of the day as the focus shifted to long runs, placing Hamilton ahead of Leclerc and Norris at the end of FP2.

Max Verstappen finished fourth for Red Bull, despite collecting debris from Alonso’s Aston Martin. He reported issues with a “super stiff” rear axle and a lack of rear grip during his medium-tyre long run. Russell rounded out the top five for Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli, who is the championship leader, finished 13th, being the only driver to set his fastest lap on medium tyres rather than softs. He also reported rear lockups under braking.

Other notable finishers included Isack Hadjar in sixth for Red Bull, and Liam Lawson three-tenths behind in seventh for Racing Bulls, driving an upgraded car. Oscar Piastri was eighth for McLaren, which had replaced its ‘Macarena’ rear wing on both cars for the session. Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.

Just outside the top 10 were Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi and Esteban Ocon for Haas. Pierre Gasly finished 14th, ahead of Ollie Bearman and the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Valtteri Bottas finished 18th for Cadillac, while Fernando Alonso, who reported vibrations from his Honda power unit, placed 19th. Sergio Perez and Colapinto in his damaged Alpine finished towards the end of the order, with Stroll remaining in the garage for the entire session.

Alonso’s lap, which was nearly 0.4 seconds faster, was disallowed due to track limits at the final corner.

The Ferrari team appeared strong, as anticipated on a track that suits the car’s cornering performance. Hamilton’s fastest time was 1 minute 18.729 seconds.

Source: formula1.com

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter