Hungarian GP: Norris Fastest, Leclerc Crashes

Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris set the pace in practice, finishing 0.243 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen’s upgraded Red Bull. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third, 0.397 seconds off the lead. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez took fourth, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell in fifth. Lewis Hamilton, Russell’s teammate was seventh behind Haas’ Kevin Magnussen. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed at Turn Four, spinning into the barrier after a snap of oversteer. The crash caused a 16-minute delay.

Leclerc’s Ferrari sustained damage to the rear and front-left corners but was not severely damaged considering the high-speed impact. Shortly after the session resumed, Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu nearly had a similar incident but narrowly avoided hitting Perez’s Red Bull. RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, Williams’ Alex Albon, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who was testing a major floor upgrade, rounded out the top 10. Norris expressed satisfaction with the day but noted the need for more comfort to maximize the car’s speed.

Oscar Piastri, the second McLaren driver, finished in 13th place due to floor damage. Verstappen, who tested Red Bull’s upgrades, reported a good day. Perez stayed with the previous-spec car. Mercedes drivers struggled with pace in the hot conditions, similar to their experiences in Spain and Austria. Russell highlighted that Norris and Verstappen seemed quickest and noted a probable power difference on qualifying laps.

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin anticipated Hungary would be challenging especially on rear-limited tracks in hot conditions. Ferrari’s Sainz and Leclerc ran with a modified floor to address aerodynamic issues from a previous upgrade. Despite recent successes in Austria and Silverstone, Mercedes is cautious about their performance in Hungary.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Norris remarked, “A good first day. Definitely more work to do for comfort but we have the speed.” He expressed satisfaction with the car’s performance despite the need for further adjustments.