Charles Leclerc set the pace in FP1 at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing almost half a second ahead of Max Verstappen as Lewis Hamilton completed a promising Ferrari one-three. However, the opening session ended with a technical scare when Charles Leclerc’s SF-26 stopped in the pit lane during the closing minutes.
Ferrari, and Charles Leclerc in particular, emerged as the leading protagonists of the first free practice session at the Hungaroring. The Monegasque driver recorded the fastest lap of the session, while Lewis Hamilton’s third-fastest time reinforced the encouraging early indications for the Maranello team.
The performance was particularly significant given the pre-weekend expectations surrounding the Ferrari SF-26’s strength through low-speed corners, one of the defining characteristics of the Hungarian circuit. However, Ferrari’s strong start was accompanied by a late reliability concern.
Charles Leclerc leads Hungarian GP FP1 before late stoppage
During the final minutes of FP1, Charles Leclerc suffered a technical problem that had not yet been clearly identified. The issue forced his SF-26 to stop in the pit lane, close to the FIA weighing area, with the car unable to continue moving under its own power.
Ferrari mechanics had to leave the garage and walk down the pit lane before manually pushing the number 16 car back to the team’s garage. The incident brought Charles Leclerc’s session to an end several minutes earlier than planned.
Despite the stoppage, Ferrari had already completed a productive opening session while evaluating its Hungaroring configuration, which includes the upgraded “Macarena” rear wing fitted to the SF-26.
Ferrari suspect a possible power-unit problem
Charles Leclerc offered only a brief initial explanation over the radio, telling the team that “something has broken”. Ferrari instructed him to return to the garage, but the Silverstone winner was unable to reach the team’s pit box before the car stopped completely.
It remains difficult to establish the exact cause of the failure with certainty. However, the power unit appeared to be the main suspect immediately after the session. An initial examination of the telemetry from Charles Leclerc’s car suggested that the stoppage may have been related to the power unit, although Ferrari had not confirmed the diagnosis.
Why Ferrari may not be overly concerned about the failure
There is an important detail that could reassure Ferrari supporters. The power unit used by Charles Leclerc during Friday practice was reportedly an older, heavily used unit reserved primarily for free practice sessions.
If further checks confirm that this worn power unit caused the stoppage, Ferrari would have little reason to expect the same problem to return during the most important stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
For qualifying and the race, Charles Leclerc’s SF-26 is expected to be fitted with considerably fresher and less heavily used power-unit components. Ferrari will nevertheless need to inspect the car carefully before FP2 to confirm the precise cause of the problem and ensure that no related issue can affect the remainder of the weekend.
The technical concern therefore provided the only negative moment of an otherwise highly encouraging opening session. Charles Leclerc was comfortably fastest, Lewis Hamilton placed the second Ferrari inside the top three, and the SF-26 immediately demonstrated competitive pace at the Hungaroring.
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