Lewis Hamilton tops second practice for Hungarian Grand Prix

By Sanjay Menon — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

Lewis Hamilton secured the fastest time in the second practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, outpacing his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. This performance contributed to Ferrari dominating the initial day of running at the Hungaroring circuit.

Leclerc had previously set the quickest time in the first practice session, ahead of Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen and Hamilton. However, Hamilton significantly improved his performance later in the day, turning a deficit into an advantage over Leclerc.

Practice Session Highlights

In the second practice session, McLaren‘s Lando Norris emerged as the closest competitor to Ferrari, finishing third, just under half a second behind Hamilton. The strong showing from Ferrari at the Hungaroring was anticipated by many, as the circuit is considered suitable for their car.

The session saw several teams working on fine-tuning upgrades. Aston Martin, for instance, introduced a significant update package. However, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin experienced a suspension issue during the first practice, which led to his early exit from that session. He did not participate in the second practice as his team lacked sufficient time for repairs, leaving Fernando Alonso as the sole representative for Aston Martin in FP2.

During the second practice, Leclerc initially set a benchmark time of 1m 20.103s on medium tyres before Hamilton improved by four-tenths of a second. The session was briefly interrupted by a red flag after Franco Colapinto crashed his Alpine at the final corner.

After the restart, Ferrari demonstrated strong form, with Leclerc posting a 1m 18.877s. Hamilton then improved further, setting a time of 1m 18.729s, which remained the best of the day. This placed him ahead of Leclerc and Norris at the end of the second practice session.

Team Performances and Challenges

While Ferrari showed promising pace, other teams faced challenges. Kimi Antonelli, who had sat out the first session, finished 13th upon his return to action. His teammate, George Russell, was nearly a full second behind the leading time, despite using fresh soft tyres.

Verstappen was almost seven-tenths off the pace in fourth position. His Red Bull teammate, Isack Hadjar, finished sixth. Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who also missed the first session, placed eighth, behind Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls.

Complaints about car balance were noted from several drivers, including Pierre Gasly, who reported issues with his car’s front. George Russell described his Mercedes as feeling “dreadful” and “so out of balance.” Hamilton‘s teammate also noted issues with his car’s behavior, mentioning that he “almost spun twice on braking.”

The struggles of Mercedes, along with McLaren and Red Bull, suggest that Ferrari has established itself as a strong contender for the upcoming qualifying sessions at the Hungaroring. The qualifying session is scheduled for 3pm on Saturday.

Max Verstappen ultimately took fourth place for Red Bull after hitting debris from Alonso’s Aston Martin. He was followed by Russell, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson. Piastri finished seventh, with Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.

The second Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto finished just outside the top 10, followed by Esteban Ocon, Antonelli, Gasly, Bearman, and the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Stroll remained in the garage.

Looking Ahead to Qualifying

With Ferrari showing strong performance, the team is positioned as a favourite for the qualifying sessions. The final practice session is set to begin at 11.30am on Saturday, followed by qualifying at 3pm.

The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend continues with further practice and qualifying sessions, leading up to the main race on Sunday, which is scheduled for 2pm.

Source: formula1.com