Norris propelled his McLaren to the top at the Hungaroring, clocking a 1:17.788 on Softs, finishing the second free practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix two-tenths ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for McLaren as Oscar Piastri’s MCL38 required minor repairs due to floor damage, disrupting the Australian’s FP1 session.
Behind Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, who set the pace in FP1, secured the third fastest time in the remaining Ferrari SF-24 single-seater, while Sergio Perez finished a strong fourth in his Red Bull.
George Russell took the fifth spot, 0.506s off Norris’ best time, with Kevin Magnussen surprising everyone by placing sixth in his Haas, nestled between the Mercedes drivers. Daniel Ricciardo emphasized the importance of the upcoming rounds and delivered a solid lap to secure eighth, while Alex Albon put his Williams in ninth. Fernando Alonso, driving the upgraded AMR24, completed the top 10, with Valtteri Bottas unable to place his improved Sauber C45 higher than 11th.
Charles Leclerc’s troubles continue as he hoped to make a comeback during the Hungarian weekend. However, after a good FP1 session, his afternoon session ended prematurely due to his own error. The Monegasque driver lost control of the SF-24 in turn 4, going too wide beyond the curb and spinning out. The car then ‘slid’ to the opposite side, hitting the wall and severely damaging the left side after completing a full 360° spin.
The driver is fine; he exited the car on his own and has already returned to the pits, where he apologized to the team. Unfortunately for the Ferrari mechanics, the car is not as fortunate and will require significant repairs. There is also concern for the updated floor introduced by the Maranello team here. Fortunately, there should be a spare updated floor available that can be mounted on car #16 if necessary.
This is certainly not the best way for Charles Leclerc to gain the confidence needed to face a weekend that should have been about redemption. The Monegasque has not secured a podium finish since the Monaco Grand Prix and has only collected a meager 12 points in the last four rounds.
Practice Two – Final classification
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