Charles Leclerc of Ferrari recorded the fastest time in the initial practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, the session was marked by an incident involving Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, which experienced a suspected rear suspension failure. Leclerc’s car also encountered a technical issue towards the end of the session, forcing him to stop in the pit lane.
Leclerc set a best lap time of 1:19.075, placing him half a second ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. His Ferrari team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, secured the third-fastest time. Despite his strong performance, Leclerc’s session concluded approximately seven minutes early when his car stopped at the top of the pit lane after he reported that “something broke” on his SF-26 car. The exact cause of the issue has not yet been confirmed by Ferrari.
Aston Martin’s Upgrades and Incident
Aston Martin introduced significant upgrades to their AMR26 car for the Hungarian Grand Prix, including 16 separate aerodynamic updates. These changes represent the team’s first major upgrade of the season. Adrian Newey, a key figure at Aston Martin, noted that the new package showed “promising results” in its initial on-track session.
Despite the promising start, Lance Stroll’s session was cut short after just 11 laps due to a suspected rear suspension failure. The incident occurred as he was exiting Turn Two, leading to a high-speed spin. The car avoided contact with the barriers, but the team will conduct investigations and repairs ahead of the second practice session.
Newey commented on the incident, stating that the team was working to understand what went wrong, particularly as the affected area was not part of the recent modifications. He added that the team was being careful with the new parts due to limited availability. Fernando Alonso, Stroll’s team-mate, completed the session without issues, recording the 13th fastest time, 2.4 seconds behind Leclerc’s pace. This gap is a notable improvement compared to the three to four-second deficit Aston Martin has typically faced in qualifying at recent events.
The car used by Aston Martin is largely new, with only the front suspension, engine, and gearbox remaining the same as in the previous race in Belgium. The chassis has also been modified to reduce weight, necessitating a re-homologation process by the FIA. Honda, Aston Martin’s engine partner, is also expected to bring an upgraded power unit to the Dutch Grand Prix after Formula 1’s four-week summer break.
Other Notable Performances and Incidents
Beyond the top three, Isack Hadjar secured the fourth-fastest time in the second Red Bull. Mercedes’ George Russell finished fifth, nearly a second slower than Leclerc. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto was sixth, followed by Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti in seventh. Vesti was driving the car of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who sat out the session as part of mandatory young driver requirements.
Other drivers in the top 10 included Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson. Several rookie drivers participated in the session, including Leonardo Fornaroli for McLaren, Ryo Hirakawa for Haas, Paul Aron for Alpine, and Colton Herta for Cadillac.
Incidents during the session also involved Max Verstappen and Williams’ Carlos Sainz, both of whom were noted for driving erratically. Sainz was involved in two alleged incidents, one with Verstappen and another later with Alpine rookie Aron. Both drivers are scheduled to meet with the stewards after the session to discuss these matters. The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend continues with second practice later on Friday.
Source: bbc.co.uk