Ferrari completed FP2 at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix with an emphatic one-two, as Lewis Hamilton set the pace ahead of Charles Leclerc. The seven-time world champion recorded a best lap of 1:18.729, beating his Ferrari team-mate by 0.148 seconds, while Lando Norris finished half a second away from the top in third position.
The headline times suggested that Ferrari operated on a different level to its rivals around the Hungaroring. However, the full picture from the second practice session was more nuanced. Ferrari demonstrated excellent balance and impressive qualifying pace, but the longer runs indicated that Mercedes, particularly through Kimi Antonelli, could still represent the main threat over the rest of the weekend.
Ferrari carries its strong FP1 balance into the second session
Ferrari had already looked extremely well balanced during the opening practice session, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton showing encouraging pace. Charles Leclerc was the more impressive of the two and finished FP1 at the top of the timesheets, while Lewis Hamilton experienced some instability at the rear of his SF-26.
The two Ferrari drivers also completed comparison work during FP1. Charles Leclerc immediately used the evolved Macarena rear-wing configuration featuring three flaps, while Lewis Hamilton ran the previous specification.
Charles Leclerc’s SF-26 stopped with seven minutes remaining in the first session. The issue was not considered serious by Ferrari, while the information available suggested that the failure was probably connected to older components from the first power unit, which did not feature the ADUO update. The precise cause had not been officially confirmed, but Charles Leclerc was able to participate in FP2 as normal.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc control the qualifying simulations
Ferrari began the second practice session with the same momentum it had displayed earlier in the day. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc initially fitted the medium tyres and focused primarily on extracting performance over a single lap.
The rear-end balance problems Lewis Hamilton had experienced in FP1 appeared to have been resolved. His Ferrari displayed impressive stability as he began applying the throttle at corner exit, an encouraging sign at a circuit where the SF-26’s low-speed cornering performance was expected to be particularly important.
After several push laps, the two Ferrari drivers established themselves in first and second positions, with Lewis Hamilton leading Charles Leclerc. Around 40 minutes into the session, both cars returned to the garage for several minutes while the team examined the data and made minor adjustments to the already competitive set-up developed through Ferrari’s Maranello simulator.
Just as the Ferrari drivers returned to the circuit on soft tyres to begin their qualifying simulations, Franco Colapinto lost control of his Alpine and hit the barriers near Turn 14, the final corner. The accident interrupted the session and delayed the start of Ferrari’s soft-tyre work.
The Budapest weekend also represented an important opportunity for Charles Leclerc to continue evaluating the feel of the Carbon Industrie brakes. The Hungaroring places significant demands on the braking system because of its repeated acceleration and braking sequences, making it a useful venue for gathering further information. The braking demands created by the 2026 cars in Hungary have become an especially relevant technical factor under the new regulations.
The track returned to green-flag conditions with approximately 23 minutes remaining, allowing Ferrari to begin its qualifying simulations on the soft tyres. Charles Leclerc initially moved into first position with a lap of 1:18.877, while Lewis Hamilton followed only 0.037 seconds behind.
The two Ferrari cars were the only ones to break the 1:19 barrier during their respective qualifying runs. Lewis Hamilton then completed another attempt and improved sufficiently to beat Charles Leclerc by 0.148 seconds, lowering the benchmark to 1:18.729. Lando Norris finished third but trailed the leading Ferrari by approximately half a second.
Mercedes race pace prevents Ferrari from relaxing
The final 15 minutes of FP2 were devoted to race-pace simulations. Charles Leclerc used the softer compound, while Lewis Hamilton completed his long run on the medium tyres.
Charles Leclerc’s programme was not especially straightforward because he encountered substantial traffic during several laps. That included a very slow George Russell, whom Charles Leclerc overtook around the outside of Turn 4.
On comparable tyres, however, Kimi Antonelli demonstrated the underlying strength of the Mercedes W17 and confirmed why Mercedes remains Ferrari’s primary concern. The W17’s ability to protect its rear tyres and contain thermal degradation appeared to be one of its principal strengths during the longer runs.
Kimi Antonelli did not complete a representative qualifying-style flying lap and therefore finished only 13th in the classification. George Russell ended the session fifth, approximately one second behind Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes had already expressed confidence that the W17 could challenge Ferrari at the Hungaroring, and the race simulations offered some support for that expectation.
Ferrari’s qualifying pace was nevertheless the clearest positive from FP2. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc appeared comfortable with the SF-26, the earlier rear instability on the British driver’s car had been addressed, and both drivers produced lap times beyond the immediate reach of their rivals.
The Maranello team cannot afford to overlook McLaren or Red Bull either, while Mercedes’ tyre management means the Friday classification should not be interpreted as a definitive indication of the competitive order. Ferrari ended the session with a commanding advantage, but the Ferrari-Mercedes battle in Hungary may be significantly closer over a race distance than the FP2 timesheet initially suggested.
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