Final practice at the Hungaroring set the tone for what looks to be a wildly unpredictable qualifying session. Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets with a commanding 1:14.916, McLaren continued their quietly dominant run, Ferrari split philosophies on downforce, and Red Bull… well, Red Bull looked like they swapped engineering fluid for olive oil.
McLaren: Calm, Collected, and Quick
McLaren are officially on a roll. After strong runs in both FP1 and FP2, Oscar Piastri sealed P1 with a lap that was clean, confident, and fast where it counted. Lando Norris backed it up with P2, marking the team’s second straight 1–2 in practice. The new floor, confirmed on both cars via the McLaren app, is clearly delivering.
The performance has been building all weekend. Piastri looked sharper through slow corners, Norris stronger on exit traction. With their medium-downforce setup dialed in, McLaren are extracting exactly what’s needed from the car. It’s not a question of whether they’re fast anymore, it’s whether anyone else can catch up.
Ferrari: Two Drivers, Two Setups, One Loaded Debate
Ferrari’s internal A/B test played out across all three sessions. On Friday, Charles Leclerc opted for a mid-high load configuration with a Barcelona-style rear wing and beam wing, while Lewis Hamilton ran Monaco-spec maximum downforce. Leclerc found balance early. Hamilton found frustration.
He described the car as dangerous on the radio, oversteering violently out of medium-speed corners and struggling for front-end grip. The team attempted to recalibrate his setup in FP2, trimming downforce, but the results were still lacking. So for FP3, Hamilton reverted back to the full downforce package.
It’s a bold move, one that could pay off if rain hits on Sunday, but also one that leaves Hamilton’s pace uncertain. He ended FP3 in P4, just behind Leclerc, but the lap time gap and driver feedback suggest he’s still not comfortable. At this point, it’s either a Hamilton masterclass or a disasterclass incoming.
The switch also revealed something deeper: Ferrari’s engineering staff is still trying to understand what setup makes the SF-25 click across both cars. Right now, it’s Charles who seems more in sync with the chassis and the circuit.
Red Bull: Disjointed and Directionless
It’s been a rough weekend for Red Bull, and FP3 did little to change that. Verstappen could do no better than P11, behind Nico Hülkenberg and, once again, Oliver Bearman in P11. It’s hard to find a time in recent memory when Red Bull looked this unrefined. The car feels like an un-oiled machine. Or more accurately, like it’s been doused in olive oil.
The balance continues to be way off. In FP1, Verstappen described the car as almost undrivable. In FP2, Red Bull made changes, but they didn’t land. FP3 made it clear: the car lacks front-end bite and rear stability, especially through the wide mid-speed corners. It’s as if they’re driving a different category of car altogether.
It’s no wonder fans are starting to joke that Red Bull must have stolen Ferrari’s engine oil, or that Horner took the good stuff with him. There’s no visible link between driver and machine right now. Red Bull might claw back something in qualifying, but this looks like a fundamental mismatch between setup and track.
Bearman & Hülkenberg: Midfield Mayhem, Consistently
Let’s just say it: Oliver Bearman has fully claimed P11 this weekend. He’s now finished 11th in FP1, FP2, and FP3, consistently on the cusp of the top 10 but not quite through. If there were an “11th Place Championship,” it’s already his. He’s fast, he’s stable, and if qualifying breaks just a little his way, points are genuinely in play.
Right ahead of him in FP3? Nico Hülkenberg, showing once again that Sauber can still punch when the conditions align.
Aston Martin: Upgrades Start to Click
Aston Martin’s upturn is finally translating into results. Fernando Alonso finished P6, with Lance Stroll just behind in P7. The team brought an upgrade package last weekend at Spa, mostly aero, but the track characteristics there (low downforce, high speed) masked the gains. At a high-downforce venue like Budapest, those same updates are finally working as intended.
Stroll in particular has shown a steady progression: P10 in FP1, P4 in FP2, P7 in FP3. His racecraft may still be debated, but his one-lap consistency this weekend has been undeniable.
Mercedes: Russell Fights the Setup, Antonelli Shines
Mercedes still looks like they’re chasing balance. George Russell ended up P8 in FP3, but the car remains twitchy and inconsistent, particularly on softs. He’s still visibly fighting the car mid-corner, which could point to ongoing floor correlation issues.
Meanwhile, rookie Kimi Antonelli quietly slotted into P5, showing again that he’s adjusting remarkably fast to the senior team. His smooth inputs and pace through Sector 2 make it clear: he’s not here to be a placeholder.
Bortoleto’s Flash & A Zoom-Happy Director
Gabriel Bortoleto cracked the top 10 in P9, a small victory for the less-heralded Campos entry and a testament to his increasingly sharp one-lap performances.
As for the broadcast? Viewers were left rolling their eyes at “absolutely obnoxious levels of zooming in,” as the director once again prioritized dramatic close-ups over actual action. At one point, someone even yelled “Liam, no!” out of pure habit, and no one could even tell if Lawson had done anything.
FP3 Top 10 Classification:
- Oscar Piastri – 1:14.916
- Lando Norris
- Charles Leclerc
- Lewis Hamilton
- Kimi Antonelli
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- George Russell
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Nico Hülkenberg
(Bearman, naturally, P11.)
Three sessions in, and here’s the state of play: McLaren are precise and confident, Ferrari are split but fast, Red Bull are reeling, and Aston Martin may have just found the sweet spot. With track evolution ramping up and grip levels increasing, qualifying at the Hungaroring is going to be tight, tense, and probably just a little bit weird.