Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, emerged as the fastest driver in the second free practice (FP2) session of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, clocking in at 1m17.788s and outpacing Max Verstappen.
The session was not without its drama. After the scorching conditions of FP1, where track temperatures approached a blistering 60C, things cooled down slightly to just under 50C for FP2. This provided a slight respite for the tires, but the action on the track remained heated.
Sergio Perez initially took the lead with a 1m18.568s lap on medium tires, holding onto the top spot for the first 15 minutes. However, the session took a turn when Charles Leclerc crashed exiting Turn 4. Leclerc’s Ferrari, having taken too much curb, spun into the opposite wall, necessitating a lengthy 15-minute stoppage to repair the damaged barrier.
Once the green flag was waved again, the drivers switched to soft tires. George Russell briefly took the lead with a 1m18.294s lap, but Norris quickly set a new benchmark with his 1m17.788s lap, putting him half a second ahead of Russell. Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen followed with competitive times of their own, although neither could surpass Norris’ impressive lap.
Sainz’s 1m18.185s and Verstappen’s 1m18.031s secured them second and third places, respectively. Perez’s follow-up time was enough for fourth, but his improvement on the softer tires was less dramatic than others. Russell’s earlier effort placed him in fifth, while Kevin Magnussen had a remarkable turnaround from a tough FP1 to secure sixth place.
The session saw Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo also posting strong laps, finishing in seventh and eighth. Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri had a challenging session and settled for 13th place after spending most of his time in the garage. Zhou Guanyu had a near-miss incident similar to Leclerc’s crash but managed to avoid further complications.
The practice session revealed a competitive field with several notable performances, paving the way for an exciting race weekend ahead.
The Hungarian Grand Prix’s FP2 has set the stage for what promises to be a thrilling race. Norris’ standout performance and a series of strong showings from other drivers have heightened anticipation.
Source: Motorsport
