McLaren emerged as the definitive front-runners during the Hungarian Grand Prix FP2 session, with Lando Norris setting the pace ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri, signaling a strong performance from the Woking-based squad. The session underscored McLaren’s impressive development, as Norris extended his advantage over Piastri significantly from the morning session, establishing a clear hierarchy at the top of the timing sheets.
Norris’s blistering lap time of 1:15.624 demonstrated McLaren’s competitive edge on the Hungaroring circuit. While Piastri encountered some traffic during his qualifying simulation, which slightly compromised his lap, Charles Leclerc once again proved to be the best of the rest, securing third fastest for Ferrari, though still four tenths adrift of Norris’s benchmark, highlighting the Papaya cars’ formidable pace.
Beyond the top three, the session revealed a tightly contested midfield. Lance Stroll showcased Aston Martin’s potential, clinching fourth fastest, closely followed by his teammate Fernando Alonso, who made a strong return to the cockpit after sitting out FP1 due to a back injury. Lewis Hamilton secured sixth for Mercedes, navigating a challenging session that saw him over three tenths slower than his teammate, yet narrowly ahead of George Russell in seventh.
However, the most notable narrative from the session revolved around reigning champion Max Verstappen, who astonishingly ended FP2 down in fourteenth position. Verstappen’s struggles were evident throughout, as he wrestled with persistent understeer and openly voiced his frustration, at one point deeming his Red Bull car “undriveable” and expressing confusion over its unpredictable handling.
The conditions on the Hungaroring evolved significantly throughout the day. While FP1 saw a relatively green track and unpredictable grip levels, FP2, with slightly higher track and air temperatures, offered a clearer picture of the pecking order, particularly behind the dominant McLaren duo. Teams actively worked on fine-tuning their setups, with Red Bull specifically addressing issues on Verstappen’s car.
Key moments punctuated the session, including Nico Hulkenberg’s eager return to the track after yielding his car in FP1, and early drama involving Lewis Hamilton, who had a moment at the chicane during a timed lap. Carlos Sainz was among the first to switch to soft tyres for qualifying simulations, and Lando Norris himself had a heart-stopping moment, avoiding a crash after a snap in the final corner, a close call witnessed by Russell.
Verstappen’s perplexing issues continued, culminating in an unusual incident at Turn 3 where he appeared to remove his hands from the steering wheel to retrieve and discard an object from his cockpit, further underscoring his exasperation with the car’s balance. Even on long runs, other drivers like Isack Hadjar reported losing the front end, indicating the challenging nature of the circuit and tyre management.
As the focus now shifts to qualifying, the question remains whether Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen can swiftly address their significant performance deficit and challenge the impressive form displayed by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend promises an enthralling battle at the front, with McLaren F1 looking poised to capitalize on their strong FP2 results, setting the stage for an unpredictable Formula 1 showdown.
