The opening free practice session at the Hungaroring confirmed McLaren’s dominance; for the moment, Scuderia Ferrari appears to be the second-fastest team
The very first indications from the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend have emerged from a rather transitional and exploratory FP1 session—something quite common on a circuit like the Hungaroring, where track evolution plays a significant role throughout the weekend. Despite this, the session was far from devoid of interesting data and competitive insights. McLaren confirmed its high-speed potential on a layout that theoretically suits the car well, while Scuderia Ferrari looked immediately well-balanced, particularly with Charles Leclerc able to deliver a strong compromise between aerodynamic efficiency, race pace, and tire management.
McLaren running heavy on downforce and fast in key corners during flying laps
As expected, the McLaren MCL39 proved to be perfectly suited to the twisty and slow-corner-heavy layout of the Hungaroring. British driver Lando Norris appeared to be in excellent form from the start—unsurprising given that this is one of his favorite tracks on the calendar—and produced some standout performance readings in the more technical sectors. When comparing telemetry with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari SF-25, one can clearly see that Lando Norris gains time specifically in corners 4, 5, and 14. These are sections where McLaren’s car excels at generating both aerodynamic downforce and mechanical grip at medium-to-low speeds.
In the 6–7 chicane, Lando Norris arrives with more entry speed, although his corner exit is not optimal. By contrast, Charles Leclerc seems to struggle slightly when exiting the following “snake” section—one of the trickier sequences of the Hungarian circuit.
A direct comparison between the two drivers also reveals a couple of key differences in terms of setup and driving approach. Charles Leclerc appears to be running with less aerodynamic load, as suggested by his significantly higher straight-line speeds. At the same time, McLaren’s engine mapping still appears somewhat conservative, with Lando Norris showing an average upshift RPM around 250 revolutions per minute lower than Charles Leclerc. Maximum RPM data also reflects this: Norris peaked at 11,983 rpm while Leclerc reached 12,273 rpm—indicating different engine strategies likely aimed at tire preservation and reliability.
Ferrari already within a solid operational window
Despite running with lower aerodynamic load, the Ferrari SF-25 seems to have immediately found a favorable setup window. During the race pace simulation, Charles Leclerc displayed very strong rhythm—not only in terms of raw speed but also regarding tire degradation. This was particularly impressive considering that the stint was aggressive right from the start.
The overall feeling is that while McLaren is simply confirming the strength of its overall package on a layout that plays to its strengths, Ferrari is demonstrating the results of careful setup work and development steps—including the recently introduced rear suspension configuration. It remains to be seen whether the Maranello-based team will opt to increase the aerodynamic load further on the SF-25 or continue with the configuration seen in FP1. That said, the encouraging long-run data collected during the first session does not, for now, appear to necessitate any major changes.
Others not yet in the picture, but everything is still evolving
Other teams—including Red Bull Racing and Mercedes—seemed to struggle during FP1, which was in line with some pre-weekend expectations. However, it must be emphasized that this was only the first free practice session, and as always, caution is strongly advised when interpreting early results.
Track conditions are expected to evolve significantly as more rubber is laid down, and there’s also a small weather-related uncertainty that could influence performance trends. It will be crucial to monitor how track temperatures develop, as this could greatly affect grip levels and tire strategies. It remains to be seen whether, and how, the competitive order will shift during the second free practice session.
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