The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend saw a captivating display of speed and strategy as Lando Norris once again asserted McLaren’s dominance, topping the second free practice session with a formidable 1-2 alongside his teammate Oscar Piastri. This performance at the Hungaroring underscores the significant strides McLaren has made, hinting at their strong contention for the upcoming qualifying and race events.
Norris set an early benchmark during the exploratory runs on medium tires, registering a swift 1m16.525s on the C4 compound. This initial effort was enough to dislodge Piastri from the provisional top spot, demonstrating the Briton’s immediate comfort and pace around the challenging Budapest circuit, even before the session progressed to softer tire compounds.
As the session transitioned to the customary soft tire runs, the times began to tumble across the grid. While Norris initially improved, it was Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll who briefly stole the spotlight, finding an impressive 0.3s advantage over the McLaren driver on the C5 tires, signaling the competitive depth of the field.
Not to be outdone, Oscar Piastri then pushed the limits further, successfully breaking the 1m16s barrier with a blistering 1m15.915s lap. However, Norris swiftly responded, reclaiming his position at the apex of the timing sheets by clocking an even faster 1m15.624s, showcasing his exceptional ability to extract maximum performance from the car when it mattered most.
The intensity between the McLaren teammates was palpable, with Piastri encountering a wide moment at Turn 7 during another attempted soft tire lap, effectively solidifying the front-runner order. Earlier, a near-miss at Turn 1, where Norris locked up exiting the pits as Piastri surged around the outside, highlighted the competitive yet close dynamic within the team.
The latter part of the session saw teams shift their focus to race simulations, utilizing all three tire compounds. The consistent pace of the McLaren duo remained evident, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari emerging as the closest challenger, securing third place and finishing just under 0.4 seconds adrift of Norris’s leading time, mirroring the FP1 results.
Beyond the top three, Lance Stroll maintained a strong presence in fourth, closely followed by his Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso, who rounded out the top five. Other notable performances included Sergio Perez in sixth, ahead of his former teammate Carlos Sainz, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell showing promising pace, while Esteban Ocon completed the top ten for Alpine.
The session also saw a mix of fortunes for other drivers. Zhou Guanyu, who has consistently finished 11th in recent races, once again found himself just outside the top ten. Daniel Ricciardo, having missed the earlier FP1 session, managed to place 12th, indicating a steady reintegration into his new team environment.
This strong showing from McLaren, particularly the consistent 1-2 finishes in both free practice sessions, sets an intriguing stage for the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. While practice results don’t always translate directly to race day success, the team’s apparent mastery of the Hungaroring circuit suggests they will be formidable contenders for pole position and a strong points haul.
