Charles Leclerc placed Ferrari at the top of the timesheets during FP1 for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, immediately confirming the SF-26’s potential around the Hungaroring. Lewis Hamilton completed an encouraging opening session in third place, although the two Ferrari drivers followed different programmes and did not experience the same level of confidence behind the wheel.
The positive start was accompanied by a reliability concern. Charles Leclerc’s car stopped during the closing stages of the session after suffering a technical problem while upshifting, preventing Ferrari from completing its planned high-fuel programme with both cars. The sound suggested a possible transmission-related issue, although the precise cause had not been confirmed at the time of writing.
Ferrari starts strongly in Hungarian GP FP1
Ferrari began the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend well, particularly on Charles Leclerc’s side of the garage. The Monegasque driver quickly found a competitive compromise and appeared comfortable with the SF-26 from the opening phase of the session.
The car looked naturally suited to the Budapest circuit, where its performance through the slower corners could become an important advantage. Ferrari had already identified the SF-26’s strength in low-speed corners as one of the reasons for approaching the weekend with cautious optimism.
Lewis Hamilton had not yet developed the same level of confidence, but Ferrari’s programme involved numerous comparative tests concerning aerodynamic load, tyre compounds and the two drivers’ baseline set-ups. The Italian team carefully studied the behaviour of both cars as it attempted to identify the most effective configuration for qualifying and the race.
Ferrari compares its Macarena rear-wing configurations
Ferrari sent both cars onto the circuit on Medium tyres for the first run. As is often the case under the 2026 regulations, there was considerable discussion over the hybrid maps during the opening flying laps as the engineers worked to optimise how electrical energy was released around the circuit.
Although the Hungaroring is less demanding on the power unit than circuits like Spa-Francorchamps, the harvesting and deployment phases remain crucial to performance. Ferrari therefore used the beginning of FP1 to evaluate its energy-management settings alongside the specific harvesting and deployment demands of the Hungaroring.
Charles Leclerc appeared immediately comfortable with the car, as demonstrated by how easily the lap times arrived. Lewis Hamilton, by contrast, had to work harder at the steering wheel. The British driver was dealing with a noticeable tendency towards oversteer and had to make frequent corrections to keep the rear of the SF-26 under control.
Lewis Hamilton had produced the fastest times through the opening two sectors during one attempt, but he was forced to lift in the final sector to avoid losing the car. The grip level was still relatively low at that stage of the weekend, with the circuit continuing to evolve as more rubber was deposited on the racing line.
Both Ferrari rear wings were covered in flow-vis paint, allowing the engineers to examine the airflow across the surfaces. At first glance, Lewis Hamilton appeared to be using a more conventional specification while Charles Leclerc tested the upgraded Macarena rear wing introduced for Hungary.
The initial indications suggested that the configuration developed for Budapest was working as intended, although Ferrari still needed to analyse its interaction with the rest of the set-up before reaching a definitive conclusion.
Charles Leclerc finds pace on Soft tyres
After a brief pause in the garage, Charles Leclerc returned to the circuit on the red-marked Soft tyres. Ferrari appeared to make only a conventional front-wing adjustment to compensate for the additional grip offered by the softer compound.
Charles Leclerc produced a strong lap, even though the SF-26 continued to display slightly excessive rotation. Lewis Hamilton soon left the pit lane as well, but the handling of his car was not yet optimal.
The two Ferrari drivers had selected marginally different baseline set-ups. The differences were not substantial, but they were enough to affect how each driver managed the rear of the car. It will therefore be important to follow Lewis Hamilton’s progress throughout the remainder of Friday as Ferrari attempts to improve his confidence.
Ferrari’s second flying-lap attempts were interrupted when Lance Stroll’s upgraded Aston Martin suffered a suspension failure, bringing out the red flag. The stoppage prevented several drivers from completing their planned Soft-tyre runs.
Ferrari divides its high-fuel programme
The session resumed approximately ten minutes later. Charles Leclerc continued on the Soft compound, while Lewis Hamilton returned to the circuit on Medium tyres as Ferrari divided its work for the race simulations.
The team wanted to compare the behaviour of the different compounds under heavier fuel loads, but Charles Leclerc’s programme ended prematurely. The SF-26 suffered a technical problem that forced the Monegasque driver to stop the car. The noise heard during the incident suggested that the issue could have involved the gearbox or another element of the transmission, but Ferrari had not confirmed the diagnosis.
Lewis Hamilton was nevertheless able to collect a useful amount of data, completing approximately ten laps to study how the Ferrari behaved with a heavier fuel load. The handling was not poor, although the balance continued to lean towards oversteer.
Lewis Hamilton also tests the new Ferrari rear wing
Further analysis clarified that the wing tested by Lewis Hamilton was not simply Ferrari’s original baseline specification. The British driver was also using a version of the new Macarena solution, but without the central aerodynamic support structure fitted to Charles Leclerc’s car.
That element was subsequently added for Lewis Hamilton’s final run, allowing Ferrari to compare the configurations directly. The programme followed the team’s decision to give Charles Leclerc the first opportunity to evaluate the complete package, as explained in our analysis of Ferrari’s rear-wing testing plan for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Despite Lewis Hamilton’s limited confidence in the balance, his pace remained competitive compared with the other leading teams. That represents another encouraging indication for Ferrari at a circuit which appears to suit the SF-26 better than several recent venues.
Ferrari shows promise but awaits answers on Charles Leclerc’s car
FP1 reinforced the impression that Ferrari has arrived in Hungary well prepared. Charles Leclerc found performance immediately, while Lewis Hamilton remained competitive despite not yet being entirely comfortable with his set-up.
The opening session also supported Ferrari’s belief that the Hungaroring could offer the team an opportunity to fight at the front. However, the technical problem on Charles Leclerc’s SF-26 must be understood before the remainder of the weekend, particularly if the issue involves the transmission.
FP2 should provide a clearer picture of Ferrari’s competitiveness, the effectiveness of the different rear-wing configurations and Lewis Hamilton’s progress with the balance. It will also reveal whether the team can convert the advantages identified in its Hungarian Grand Prix technical preview into sustained performance over longer runs.
One conclusion can already be drawn from the first hour of running: Ferrari appears comfortable at the Hungaroring. The pace is promising, but reliability and the final set-up choices will determine whether the team can turn that early potential into a successful weekend.
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