In the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix, the second practice concluded with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari just edging past McLaren’s Lando Norris by a mere 0.015 seconds. This came after a largely uneventful practice, as opposed to the first session, which was interrupted by two red flags and unfavorable weather.
The practice started with the Williams pair posting initial times in the region of 1m19s, Logan Sargeant pulling ahead of Alex Albon. However, Norris soon outpaced them both with a 1m19.044s lap, in an effort to compensate for lost time during the rain-hit FP1.
Sargeant reclaimed the lead with a 1m18.836s, driving his Williams FW45 on soft tyres, while most of the field were on mediums. He maintained this lead for the next 15 minutes, even managing to resist a challenge from Sergio Perez, who had crashed during FP1.
Max Verstappen’s first attempt on red-walled tyres came close, but missed Sargeant’s top spot by 0.075s. Instead, it was Albon who surpassed his teammate, registering a 1m18.377s on medium tyres.
However, the soft tyre runs then intensified, leading to a rapid succession of leaders, including Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, and Yuki Tsunoda. Eventually, Norris took the lead with a 1m17.701s, outpacing Tsunoda.
Despite an attempt from Pierre Gasly, it was Leclerc who set the fastest time with a 1m17.686s, just 0.015s faster than Norris. Neither Red Bull drivers, Verstappen nor Perez, could improve their pace despite several attempts.
As the session approached its end, the drivers began to focus on their longer runs in preparation for Sunday’s race. Consequently, there were no further improvements in time as they attempted to manage their limited tyre allocation.
In the end, Norris couldn’t surpass Leclerc, while Gasly secured third place ahead of former teammate Tsunoda. Esteban Ocon managed to secure the fifth-fastest time despite a mid-session pitlane incident involving Leclerc.
Other notable results include Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, and Zhou Guanyu and Carlos Sainz rounding up the top 10. Max Verstappen, with only 18 laps completed, could only manage 11th place, whereas Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell lagged behind in 16th and 20th.
Daniel Ricciardo, returning to the circuit, managed to place his AlphaTauri 14th, behind Stroll and Albon, with Kevin Magnussen completing the top 15 within a 0.818s margin.
Full results:
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 20 laps, 1’17.686
- Lando Norris, McLaren, 30 laps, +0.015
- Pierre Gasly, Alpine, 26 laps, +0.232
- Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri, 31 laps, +0.248
- Esteban Ocon, Alpine, 30 laps, +0.359
- Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, 29 laps, +0.372
- Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo, 29 laps, +0.399
- Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, 32 laps, +0.419
- Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo, 31 laps, +0.422
- Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 20 laps, +0.496
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 18 laps, +0.593
- Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, 33 laps, +0.633
- Alex Albon, Williams, 32 laps, +0.691
- Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri, 30 laps, +0.699
- Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team, 27 laps, +0.818
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 28 laps, +1.060
- Logan Sargeant, Williams, 30 laps, +1.150
- Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, 14 laps, +1.292
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 18 laps, +1.431
- George Russell, Mercedes, 23 laps, +1.489
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Formula 1 Hungarian GP
What happened in the F1 Hungarian GP second practice session?
In the F1 Hungarian GP second practice session, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured the fastest lap time, narrowly beating Lando Norris of McLaren by just 0.015 seconds.
How did the practice session differ from the first one?
Unlike the first practice session, which was disrupted by two red-flag periods and adverse weather conditions, the second practice session was run in dry conditions, despite earlier concerns of continued rainfall.
Which drivers set the early pace in the session?
The Williams duo, Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon, initially set competitive times in the mid-1m19s range. However, they were soon surpassed by Lando Norris, who posted a time of 1m19.044s.
Who were the other contenders for the top spot during the session?
Throughout the session, different drivers took turns leading the pack. Logan Sargeant briefly reclaimed the top spot with a lap time of 1m18.836s. Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll also held positions at the front before Norris and Leclerc eventually topped the timesheets.
Which drivers struggled to improve their pace during the session?
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez from Red Bull Racing, as well as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell from Mercedes, faced challenges and couldn’t significantly improve their lap times. Verstappen, in particular, persisted with the same set of soft tyres for much of the session.
How did the rest of the field focus their efforts during the session?
As the session progressed, most drivers shifted their focus to longer runs to prepare for the upcoming race on Sunday. Due to the reduced allocation of Pirelli tyres, they didn’t make further improvements in lap times.
Which drivers completed the top 10 at the end of the session?
Apart from Leclerc and Norris in the top two positions, Pierre Gasly of Alpine secured third place, followed by Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, Zhou Guanyu, and Carlos Sainz, completing the top 10.
Who finished in 11th place?
Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing finished in 11th place, but he struggled to improve his pace during the session.
Which drivers experienced difficulties during the session?
Esteban Ocon’s Alpine team encountered a pitlane incident when releasing him from the garage, causing Charles Leclerc to check up as he was in the pitlane at the time.
Who secured the 14th place in the session?
Daniel Ricciardo, returning to the circuit, managed to place his AlphaTauri in 14th position.
How many laps did each driver complete during the session?
The number of laps completed varied for each driver, with Charles Leclerc completing 20 laps, Lando Norris completing 30 laps, and Max Verstappen completing 18 laps, among others.
Which drivers finished in the last positions?
Sergio Perez completed only 14 laps and ended up in 18th place, while Oscar Piastri and George Russell finished in 19th and 20th positions, respectively.
More about Formula 1 Hungarian GP
- F1 Official Website: F1’s official website provides detailed information about the Hungarian Grand Prix and other events.
- McLaren Official Website: McLaren’s official website offers updates and insights into the team’s performance in the F1 championship.
- Ferrari Official Website: Ferrari’s official website provides news and updates on their F1 team’s progress.
- Alpine Official Website: Alpine’s official website offers updates on their F1 team’s performance and other racing activities.
- Red Bull Racing Official Website: Red Bull Racing’s official website provides news and features about their F1 team.
- Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team: Mercedes’ official F1 team website provides insights into their racing endeavors.
- Williams Racing Official Website: Williams Racing’s official website offers news and information about their F1 team.
- AlphaTauri Official Website: AlphaTauri’s official website provides updates on their F1 team’s performances.
- Haas F1 Team Official Website: Haas F1 Team’s official website offers updates and features about their F1 endeavors.
- Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team: Aston Martin’s official F1 team website provides news and features about their racing activities.
10 comments
williams started ok, but then norris and leclerc beat them all.
max and sergio struggled, not fast enough, hmm.
omg, the first practic had red flag and bad weather, but second one was dry, yay!
drivers focused on longer runs, preparing for race day.
norris and leclerc were so close, 0.015s only! thrilling stuff!
some drivers had pit issues, gotta watch out!
mclaren and ferrari did great, so happy!
verstappen tried on same tyres, couldn’t improve, oh well.
f1 hungarian gp second practic leclerc got first place by just 0.015s, wow!
great summary! now i’m excited for the race!