Lando Norris Shines in First Practice Session of the Hungarian Grand Prix

Lando Norris kicked off the first practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix with an impressive performance, narrowly edging out his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who currently leads the championship standings. Norris was the first of the two McLaren drivers to hit the track on soft tires, establishing a benchmark time of 1 minute and 16.052 seconds, which set the tone for the weekend.

McLaren’s Dominance in Practice

Following Norris’ initial run, Piastri took to the track but needed two laps to prepare before he could attempt a competitive lap. Despite achieving the fastest time in the first sector, Piastri gradually lost time over the rest of the lap, ultimately finishing 0.15 seconds behind Norris. After both drivers returned to the pits for a tire change, they rejoined the session with the same tires for another attempt. Unfortunately for Norris, he experienced a lock-up at the first corner, which forced him back into the pits. Meanwhile, Piastri managed to improve his time significantly, clocking a purple sector in the middle part of the track, which left him just 0.019 seconds behind Norris.

Ferrari’s Competitive Edge

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc surprised many by finishing third, closely trailing the McLaren duo. Initially, Leclerc was over 0.7 seconds slower than Norris after his first lap, but he managed to find more pace in his subsequent run on worn tires, ultimately finishing just 0.217 seconds off the leading McLaren drivers. The upgraded SF-25 demonstrated impressive speed, particularly in the first sector, which includes the first three turns and most of the front straight.

Racing Bulls and Mercedes’ Struggles

Isack Hadjar secured the fourth position for Racing Bulls, clocking in at 0.629 seconds off the pace. He was followed closely by Lewis Hamilton, who finished fifth but was 0.053 seconds behind Hadjar. Hamilton faced a tough session, initially struggling with a one-second gap to Norris in the early stages. After returning to the pits, he reported that his car didn’t feel right. On his second run with soft tires, he was 0.682 seconds slower than Norris, with the majority of his time loss occurring in the challenging middle sector. Hamilton also suffered from a significant lock-up at the first turn, which resulted in damage to a set of soft tires during what turned out to be a challenging hour of practice.

Haas and Mercedes Drivers Round Out the Field

Oliver Bearman finished sixth for the Haas team, recording a time that was 0.826 seconds off the leading pace. He was followed by Mercedes drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who were closely matched at 0.828 and 0.873 seconds off the pace, respectively. Russell began the session expressing concerns about a "long and spongy" brake pedal and concluded it with complaints that he "couldn’t even turn the car."

Verstappen and Aston Martin’s Performance

Defending champion Max Verstappen had a relatively quiet session, finishing ninth and 0.888 seconds slower than Norris. Lance Stroll rounded out the top ten for Aston Martin, clocking in at 0.906 seconds off the pace. Alex Albon, driving for Williams, showcased strong performance in the first sector, ultimately finishing 11th. He was followed by Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, with Gasly rejoining the session after experiencing a power loss just ten minutes in.

Midfield Battle and Notable Absences

Liam Lawson, driving the second Racing Bulls car, ended the session in 14th place after having his flying lap disrupted by his teammate Hadjar. Carlos Sainz reported issues with his brakes, indicating his car would release the brakes even when he wasn’t pressing the pedal, resulting in a 15th-place finish.

Felipe Drugovich filled in for Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin and finished 16th, 1.2 seconds off the pace. Drugovich received a last-minute call-up after Alonso withdrew from the practice session due to muscle pain in his back, which he sustained during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. The 25-year-old Brazilian has been serving as Aston Martin’s reserve driver since 2022, when he clinched the Formula 2 championship. Although he has participated in six previous practice sessions, he has yet to start a Grand Prix. Aston Martin has indicated that they will assess Alonso’s fitness as the weekend progresses.

Struggles for Tsunoda and Newcomers

Yuki Tsunoda finished 17th in the second Red Bull Racing vehicle, voicing concerns about a lack of grip through the corners, which hindered his performance. Franco Colapinto secured 18th place, while Gabriel Bortoleto, who managed only 17 laps, was withdrawn from the session with 15 minutes remaining.

Alpine-backed rookie Paul Aron wrapped up the session in last place, failing to set a representative time after encountering a "systems critical" alarm just nine laps into the hour, forcing him to stop by the track at Turn 13. Aron, who finished third in last year’s Formula 2 championship, is currently an Alpine reserve driver but has been loaned to Sauber to assist the Swiss team in fulfilling their obligation to field junior drivers during practice sessions. He commandeered Nico Hulkenberg’s car but ended the hour a staggering 3.7 seconds off the pace.

Conclusion

The first practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix proved to be a thrilling start to the weekend, showcasing the competitive nature of the teams and drivers. McLaren’s dominance, Ferrari’s resurgence, and the challenges faced by other teams set the stage for an exciting race weekend ahead. As teams continue to fine-tune their setups and strategies, fans can look forward to what promises to be a captivating race in Hungary.