Lando Norris of McLaren set the fastest time during Saturday’s third practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. Norris’s best lap of 1m 17.939s placed him ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli, in a session that saw McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes closely matched.
The session began with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto being the first to take to the track. Colapinto had experienced a crash on Friday, which resulted in car damage. Lance Stroll also made an early appearance, aiming to gain understanding of the updated Aston Martin after missing a previous practice session due to a suspension issue.
Early in the session, Norris led with a 1m 19.062s lap on soft tyres, positioning him ahead of Red Bull‘s Isack Hadjar. However, the session was interrupted by a red flag when Sergio Perez‘s Cadillac came to a halt on the approach to Turn 2 after exiting the pit lane, reportedly due to an engine issue and brakes that appeared to be on fire.
After the track was cleared, practice resumed, allowing drivers to complete their programmes before qualifying. Antonelli, George Russell, and Max Verstappen then joined the track. Antonelli initially placed sixth but had his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits. Hamilton later moved into first with a 1m 19.053s, followed by his teammate Charles Leclerc, who recorded a 1m 18.668s. Antonelli then slotted between the two Ferrari drivers, despite an earlier incident where his Mercedes‘ floor hit the Turn 4 kerb.
Final Practice Session Highlights
As the session neared its conclusion, championship leader Antonelli improved his time to 1m 18.254s, briefly taking the top spot. However, Norris, driving an upgraded McLaren, then posted a 1m 18.206s to reclaim the lead. Hamilton further improved his time to 1m 18.056s, but Norris ultimately secured the fastest time with his 1m 17.939s benchmark lap.
Antonelli finished third, with Leclerc and Oscar Piastri behind him. Russell secured sixth place, while Verstappen and Hadjar of Red Bull took seventh and eighth positions, respectively. Hadjar reported an “undriveable” experience late in the session. Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls finished ninth, followed by Audi drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. Arvid Lindblad, also from Racing Bulls, joined the track in the final stages, splitting the Alpine cars of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto.
The Haas drivers, Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman, were next, followed by the revised Aston Martin cars of Fernando Alonso and Stroll. Valtteri Bottas of Cadillac and the Williams pair of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon completed the field, ahead of the sidelined Perez.
Qualifying Preparations Underway
The conditions during practice were described as challenging, with wind affecting the track. Hamilton noted that the car felt better in the second practice session, indicating progress between sessions, though he also mentioned areas still needing improvement. Piastri, speaking after qualifying, mentioned that the car had been quick but that he had been “chasing it” throughout the day.
The Ferrari team had shown strong pace earlier in the weekend, with Hamilton topping Leclerc in the second practice session. Antonelli, despite leading the championship, had struggled in the second practice, finishing 13th, almost two seconds off the pace, after experiencing rear locking issues and repeatedly running off track. His teammate Russell was also nearly a full second behind the leading time.
The focus now shifts to qualifying, which is scheduled for Saturday at 3pm.
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris NOR | 1:17.939 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton HAM | +0.117s |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli ANT | +0.129s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc LEC | +0.352s |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri PIA | +0.499s |
Source: formula1.com
