Ferrari ended Friday at the Hungarian Grand Prix in control of the timesheets, with Lewis Hamilton leading Charles Leclerc by almost a tenth and a half in FP2. The SF-26 appeared to be the strongest car over a single lap, delivering the solid and precise handling expected at the Hungaroring, but less convincing race simulations and Kimi Antonelli’s pace for Mercedes mean the competitive picture remains far from settled.
The opening day in Hungary confirmed Ferrari’s encouraging pre-weekend impressions. However, track evolution and rising temperatures are expected to change conditions considerably, potentially affecting both the balance of the SF-26 and the way its tyres behave. Ferrari may have established the benchmark on Friday, but the team must continue adapting as the circuit develops.
Ferrari’s Hungarian GP FP2 pace confirms a strong SF-26 balance
According to Pirelli, track evolution will be one of the major themes of the weekend, beginning with Saturday’s sessions. Ferrari nevertheless confirmed the positive indications seen in FP1, which had taken place on an extremely dirty circuit.
The balance remained highly effective in FP2, even though Charles Leclerc was not completely satisfied with his fastest lap. The SF-26’s performance was consistent with expectations that Ferrari’s low-speed cornering strength would suit the Hungaroring.
Tyre management was another decisive factor. The priority was to reach the critical sector with the tyres still inside their operating window, while avoiding overheating that could prove fatal to lap time through the final two corners. Ferrari managed that challenge particularly well on its qualifying simulations, helping Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc secure the top two positions.
The result built upon the Scuderia’s already impressive opening session and supported the broader conclusion that Ferrari may still have more performance to extract from the SF-26 before qualifying.
Traffic prevents Ferrari from obtaining clear race data
Whether Ferrari’s performance will be sufficient over a full race distance should become clearer on Saturday, because the team’s Friday long-run simulations were far from ideal. The problem went beyond simple execution: remaining in traffic prevented Ferrari from collecting all the representative data needed to prepare for the race as effectively as possible.
That limitation is especially important because the risk of graining appears greater on the C4 compound. As explained by Pirelli’s director, the tyre was designed to operate at higher temperatures. By contrast, the softer C5 performed better than expected during Friday’s running.
Tyre behaviour could become even more significant as the weekend grows warmer, making the Hungarian Grand Prix temperature forecast directly relevant to Ferrari’s prospects.
Ferrari also used a more open thermal-management configuration from FP2 onwards, with cooling gills appearing on the sidepods of both cars. The change reflected the need to manage temperatures as conditions and run programmes evolved.
Kimi Antonelli keeps Mercedes in contention
Mercedes unsurprisingly remained part of the leading group, particularly through Kimi Antonelli. The Italian was satisfied with the opening part of his final flying-lap attempt, although the lap ended prematurely at the chicane after he suffered a series of small rear-wheel lock-ups.
Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes looked particularly competitive during the race simulations. Its pace was probably slightly better than that of Charles Leclerc, although the Ferrari driver’s programme was repeatedly compromised by traffic and therefore did not provide a completely reliable comparison.
Mercedes consequently remains a serious threat despite Ferrari’s Friday one-two. The contrast between Ferrari’s single-lap advantage and Kimi Antonelli’s long-run performance reinforces the pre-event data suggesting that Mercedes could retain a crucial race-day strength in Hungary.
George Russell makes extensive Mercedes set-up changes
George Russell appeared to be in greater difficulty than his teammate. During the early-afternoon session, he changed almost half of his car’s configuration, working through vertical stiffness, roll stiffness, front and rear ride height and eventually the rear torsion bar.
His pace improved in FP2 and was good, although it did not reach the level shown by Kimi Antonelli. The difference between the two Mercedes drivers also makes it harder to establish the team’s definitive position before Saturday.
Mercedes introduced a new engine cover with larger rear cooling outlets. McLaren adopted a similar approach after beginning FP1 with the most extreme cooling solution available to the team, before setting it aside for FP2. Those bodywork developments formed part of a broader range of Hungarian Grand Prix updates introduced across the grid.
Ferrari impress over one lap but Mercedes remain the race favourite
Ferrari ultimately demonstrated that it has the potential to perform strongly at the Hungaroring. The SF-26 arrived with its own effective balance, both in terms of handling behaviour and energy management, allowing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to control FP2.
Nevertheless, Mercedes remain firmly in contention through Kimi Antonelli. Based on Friday’s long-run indications and the higher temperatures expected on Sunday, the Italian and Mercedes should still be regarded as the favourites from a race-pace perspective.
Ferrari’s Friday performance therefore offers genuine encouragement without providing a definitive verdict. Qualifying pace appears to be a clear strength, but cleaner race simulations will be necessary before the Scuderia can know whether the SF-26 has enough consistency to convert its speed into victory.
Source clarification: The supplied Italian text contains a missing passage immediately before “settore con le gomme ancora in finestra”. The surviving fragment has been translated without identifying a specific sector that the source does not clearly name. The phrase referring to a “more permissive heating configuration” also appears inconsistent with the mentioned sidepod gills; it has therefore been rendered neutrally as a more open thermal-management configuration.
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