Ferrari could hardly have asked for a better opening day at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc established the SF-26 as the benchmark at the Hungaroring, with the seven-time world champion ending FP2 a few thousandths of a second ahead of his teammate. However, while Ferrari appeared comfortably fastest over a single lap, the long-run data identified Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes as a significant threat.
Budapest’s slow, twisting circuit places relatively limited demands on energy deployment and suits the SF-26 far better than several of the tracks visited in recent rounds. Ferrari arrived well prepared, and the set-up developed through factory simulations and analysis proved almost immediately effective. That gave the team the freedom to focus on a small number of substantial changes and numerous finer adjustments throughout Friday.
The resulting one-two carried real significance despite coming only in practice. In both sessions, the third-fastest driver finished approximately half a second behind the leading Ferrari, underlining the quality of the Maranello team’s start. That gap remains recoverable for its rivals, but Ferrari’s speed was consistent with expectations that the SF-26’s low-speed cornering strength would suit the Hungaroring.
Ferrari’s Hungarian GP single-lap pace stands out
Across the two practice sessions, the consistent impression was that Ferrari held a more substantial advantage over its rivals on single-lap performance than on race pace. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc displayed very similar potential, and both appeared able to extract it relatively easily from the SF-26.
The Hungaroring is particularly demanding on the tyres, especially the rears. With the C5 compound, the softest available, the challenge for every driver is to reach the third sector while keeping the tyres inside an effective temperature window. Failing to do so costs grip and significant lap time through the circuit’s final three long corners.
This is likely to remain one of the weekend’s central themes. The gap traces make the effect particularly clear: Lewis Hamilton was already ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen before gaining another three tenths of a second over the final kilometre of the lap.
Ferrari’s commanding Friday therefore reflected more than a single headline lap, although the analysis also suggests that the SF-26 may still have further performance to unlock before qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc manage a neutral Ferrari balance
Ferrari retained a balance close to the limit, with the car set up very neutrally between the front and rear axles. This requires Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to avoid being too aggressive when accelerating out of corners. Excessive wheelspin can cause tyre temperatures to rise sharply and destroy performance over the remainder of the lap.
The effect was clearly visible on the opening lap of FP2. Lewis Hamilton was immediately smooth with the accelerator and finished almost half a second ahead of Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque had initially been more aggressive when returning to the throttle, but recovered the correct feeling on his following lap. Charles Leclerc then adopted an approach similar to his teammate’s, and their lap times immediately converged.
Ferrari’s set-up foundation, refined during FP2, was undoubtedly strong. The SF-26 generated substantial downforce and had a responsive front end through the middle sector, where rapid changes of direction are crucial. At the same time, the balance was not excessively front-focused, leaving both drivers with enough scope to protect the rear tyres.
It is a difficult knife-edge balance to manage, but Ferrari can adopt it because Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have the ability to exploit it effectively. The car’s characteristics also help explain why the wider Ferrari and Mercedes comparison in Hungary cannot be judged solely from Friday’s headline lap times.
Ferrari carefully manages SF-26 energy deployment
Ferrari’s approach to energy management also appeared well considered. The team concentrated most of the SF-26’s power delivery on the exits of the slower corners, taking advantage of the car’s strong rear downforce.
The Ferrari then entered a harvesting phase towards the end of the second sector. This preserved energy for the final three traction zones, where it could be deployed while the rear axle remained at an effective temperature.
The approach reflects the particular demands created by the 2026 power unit energy rules at the Hungaroring. Although Budapest is less demanding from an energy perspective than several recent circuits, where and when the available energy is deployed still has an important influence on lap time.
Kimi Antonelli sets the race-pace benchmark for Mercedes
The assessment of race pace is more complicated because the long-run simulations took place amid heavy traffic. That made it difficult to obtain a fully reliable reading of lap times and comparative performance.
Ferrari’s degradation curve appeared encouraging, but its performance as the runs progressed seemed to be one step below Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes. The Mercedes driver had not completely optimised his car over a single lap, but looked particularly fast during the race simulations.
The average telemetry calculated from the long runs showed that, as on the qualifying simulations, much of the lap-time difference was decided in the final sector. Drivers reaching that section with tired tyres could not push and had to surrender valuable time before attempting to return the tyres to the correct temperature window along the main straight.
Mercedes appeared to confirm the effectiveness of the package introduced in Canada, which was designed specifically to control rear-tyre temperatures. Kimi Antonelli consistently extended his advantage over his rivals through the final metres of the lap and recorded the best average across the representative long-run laps.
Lando Norris also appeared to have a respectable degradation curve. His final laps on the soft tyres created the impression of overwhelming McLaren superiority, but while the team looked improved in this area, its degradation management did not yet appear perfect.
The race-pace analysis placed Kimi Antonelli at the top, followed by Charles Leclerc just over one tenth of a second behind. Max Verstappen was approximately three tenths away from the Mercedes benchmark.
Why Ferrari’s Hungarian GP advantage could still shrink
Despite Ferrari’s highly encouraging Friday, the competitive picture can still change considerably. A strong starting point does not guarantee that the Scuderia will remain at the same level when the sessions begin to carry greater significance.
Track evolution and the expected increase in temperature will influence both the car’s balance and tyre management. Ferrari’s engineers and drivers must anticipate those changes and progressively adapt the set-up as conditions evolve. The latest Hungarian Grand Prix weather forecast is therefore particularly relevant to the team’s attempt to maintain its operating window.
Preserving Ferrari’s delicate balance throughout the entire weekend will require exceptional precision. Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes are ready to move ahead at the first opportunity, while Max Verstappen and Lando Norris can use the overnight analysis to improve their respective set-ups.
Ferrari’s rivals naturally appear to have greater room for improvement after beginning the weekend further from their ideal configurations. The expectation is that the field could converge considerably by qualifying, even though there is no doubt that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton must be considered contenders for pole position and, from there, victory in the race.
FP3 will offer the first indication of whether Ferrari can preserve its advantage as conditions change. The Budapest circuit remains complicated and highly selective, but that is precisely what makes it such an interesting and revealing test of the SF-26’s true potential.
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