Lando Norris set the fastest time in Hungarian Grand Prix FP3, leading Lewis Hamilton as McLaren finished the final practice session ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes at the Hungaroring. Norris produced a 1:17.939 in the closing minutes, with an exceptional middle sector helping him overturn the order and strengthen McLaren’s position before qualifying.
Ferrari showed competitive pace throughout the session, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc spending time near the top of the standings. However, Norris ultimately delivered the quickest lap, leaving the leading teams facing a potentially close qualifying contest. The result added another dimension to the expected Ferrari-Mercedes battle at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with McLaren firmly in contention as well.
Hungarian GP FP3 begins with limited track activity
The final practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix began with very little activity on the circuit. Franco Colapinto was the only driver to leave the pits during the opening minutes, while most teams preferred to wait before beginning their preparations for qualifying.
Traffic gradually increased as Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hülkenberg joined the session. Hülkenberg set the first meaningful benchmark with a 1:20.636 on Medium tyres before Oscar Piastri began McLaren’s programme using the Soft compound.
The two Ferrari drivers then headed onto the circuit, marking the beginning of a busier phase of running. Oscar Piastri immediately took advantage of the Soft tyres, improving to a 1:19.918 and moving to the top of the provisional standings.
The session was interrupted only a few minutes later. Sergio Perez had to stop his car after smoke emerged from the rear brakes, prompting race control to display the red flag. Following a short suspension, FP3 resumed under green-flag conditions.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc challenge for the FP3 lead
Lap times began to fall rapidly after the restart. Lando Norris initially moved into first place, but Ferrari responded immediately through Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion recorded a 1:19.053 to put the SF-26 at the head of the field.
Charles Leclerc attempted to respond but had to settle for third position on his opening effort, more than three tenths behind the benchmark. Ferrari’s performance nevertheless reinforced the SF-26’s competitiveness around a circuit where its strength in low-speed corners was expected to be significant.
Mercedes also became increasingly competitive as the session progressed. Kimi Antonelli improved to second place before Charles Leclerc produced an excellent lap to take the lead with a 1:18.668. The Monegasque driver remained at the top for only a few minutes, however, as Kimi Antonelli responded with an impressive 1:18.254 to reclaim first position.
Lando Norris tops Hungarian GP FP3 with late 1:17.939
The battle intensified during the closing stages. Lewis Hamilton made the most of his next attempt and moved ahead of Kimi Antonelli with an excellent 1:18.056. Charles Leclerc also improved, although he remained third at that point, just 85 milliseconds behind the Mercedes driver.
George Russell recovered some ground in the final minutes but remained away from the leading positions, while Lewis Hamilton abandoned his last flying lap. Lando Norris then took control of the session with a remarkable 1:17.939, built primarily through an exceptional middle sector.
Charles Leclerc lowered his time once again but did not gain any positions. FP3 consequently ended with McLaren ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes, leaving the competitive order finely balanced before qualifying. Norris held the fastest time, while Hamilton’s second place confirmed that Ferrari remained closely involved despite McLaren’s late improvement.
The outcome also underlined the potential importance of McLaren’s performance at the Hungaroring, where the team arrived with a packed Hungarian Grand Prix weekend schedule leading into the decisive qualifying session. With McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all leading at different stages of FP3, the final grid order remained far from settled.
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