Lewis Hamilton enters the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with an opportunity to put pressure on Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes in the Formula 1 title race. Early signs during Friday practice proved encouraging, as Ferrari displayed impressive performance. Hungaroring is a venue where cornering agility outweighs sheer engine power, a characteristic that fits the current Ferrari setup well. Beyond his home event at Silverstone, Hamilton has enjoyed his greatest success here, securing eight career victories.

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Evaluating Ferrari’s position, Hamilton noted: “I think we’ve got a car that can compete. Mercedes is still the car to beat, and they won’t be easy to beat this weekend, but I do think we’ve made subtle progress,” adding, “Hopefully we can be fighting with them this weekend.”

Friday practice highlights: Ferrari leads the field

Ferrari dominated the timesheets across both practice sessions on Friday. Hamilton set the overall fastest benchmark in FP2, outpacing teammate Charles Leclerc by 0.148 seconds. Lando Norris trailed behind in third for McLaren, 0.499 seconds off the top time. George Russell ended as the highest-placed Mercedes in fifth, while Antonelli ended up 13th in a session halted by a red flag following Franco Colapinto’s spin into the wall.

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During FP1, Leclerc recorded the top time, clearing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by nearly half a second, with Hamilton finishing a close third. Russell placed fifth in that opening run as well. Meanwhile, Antonelli sat out to help Mercedes fulfill its mandatory rookie practice quota, allowing reserve driver Fred Vesti to take seventh spot.

Aston Martin brought upgrades to Budapest and showed signs of progress. Fernando Alonso secured 13th in FP1, but a suspension breakdown sent Lance Stroll into a severe spin, causing damage that sidelined him from FP2.

Title race tension and Mercedes software fixes

This weekend represents the final round before the summer break, with racing resuming at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23. Looking at the long-term picture, Hamilton reflected: “Still a lot of work to do, still a mountain to climb in the second half of the season, but I’m more focused than ever and really believe that we can fight.”

Internal dynamics at Mercedes face scrutiny following drama in Belgium, where Antonelli extended his championship lead to 45 points over Hamilton and 50 points over Russell. That race featured an opening-lap incident where Hamilton forced Russell into a spin. Afterward, a frustrated Russell questioned why his car lost pace unexpectedly.

Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta explained that the issue stemmed from “a bug in our software,” reassuring fans that “We think we’ve finally understood it and nailed it coming into Budapest.”

Technical challenges of the 2026 cars at the Hungaroring

Unlike the high-speed straights of Spa, Hungary presents a tight, twisting layout with frequent braking zones for energy recovery. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri acknowledged the passive feeling drivers experience under the 2026 regulations.

When asked if he felt like a passenger at times, Piastri replied: “Sometimes, yes. Again, at a track like Spa or a track like Silverstone, it’s going to be worse.”

He expanded further on the circuit demands: “Here, I really don’t expect there to be many problems at all with that kind of thing, because the straights are so much shorter, so even if there are differences they should be a lot less. But the principle of driving a race car that loses effectively half of its power before the end of the straight is hard to get your head around sometimes.”

Sunday’s Grand Prix will evaluate whether these battery-boosted 2026 cars can generate overtaking opportunities on a track historically known for procession-style racing.

FAQs

How did Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari perform in Hungarian GP practice?

Ferrari swept Friday practice, with Charles Leclerc leading FP1 and Lewis Hamilton topping FP2 ahead of Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Why did Mercedes struggle with speed during the previous race in Belgium?

Mercedes revealed that a software bug caused a sudden loss of speed on George Russell’s car, though the team confirmed the issue was resolved heading into Hungary.