Location: Hungaroring | Laps: 70 | Distance: 306.63km
The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend opened with a session that delivered more off-track intrigue than on-track certainty. FP1 at the twisty Hungaroring once again reminded us why this venue is as much about engineering philosophy and setup bravery as it is about outright speed.
TV Direction Misses the Mark Again
Before we even get to the cars, let’s talk about the broadcast. Once again, camera crews fixated more on paddock partners than the machinery. Charles Leclerc’s girlfriend dominated screentime, while a Ferrari mechanic was oddly framed in her place, just enough to frustrate anyone actually watching for racing. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri’s partner was captioned on-screen with the kind of dramatic priority typically reserved for race retirements. It’s no wonder fans outside Europe couldn’t even get a proper feed, ESPN’s commentary was completely silent in the U.S., leaving viewers with awkward ambient sound and growing irritation. The broadcast priorities continue to miss the point.
Alonso’s Back and the FIA’s Bureaucracy
Fernando Alonso sat out FP1 due to a back injury that’s been bothering him since Spa. Aston Martin slotted in Felipe Drugovich for the session, a prime chance to get their junior driver valuable mileage. Except, of course, it didn’t count. Because the team didn’t notify the FIA seven days in advance, the run didn’t qualify under the mandatory rookie session rule.
This is precisely the kind of rigid bureaucracy that frustrates fans and teams alike. In what world does it make sense for a legitimate medical substitution by a junior driver not to count? It’s a missed opportunity for both Drugovich and the sport’s development goals. The FIA argues it’s about ensuring drivers are fully integrated in prep sessions, but that logic doesn’t hold when a ready, willing, and contractually connected reserve driver is available. If anything, it just makes Drugovich look even more snakebit, extra laps, zero credit, and still no realistic shot at the Aston race seat long-term with Alonso glued in place.
Mercedes Reverts to Calm the Storm
Over at Mercedes, the pressure to stabilize Kimi Antonelli’s form prompted a strategic reversal. The team ditched their post-Imola suspension and returned to the earlier-spec layout, hoping to build confidence in their young driver. A simple change, but one that underscores how lost the Silver Arrows have been under the current regulation era. Four years in, and they’re still chasing correlation issues, fighting tire degradation, and watching their own engine customers out-develop them.
Even with the suspension rollback, the car looked like a handful. George Russell fought instability through nearly every soft tire stint, possibly due to floor setup changes that still aren’t translating well from sim to circuit. Mercedes remain stuck in that awkward zone, too fast to write off, but nowhere near consistent enough to challenge up front.
Sparse Tech Updates, Rain Clouds, and DRS Train Fears
Official updates submitted for the weekend were minimal. Red Bull introduced a new front wing and front corner, Aston Martin brought a front wing tweak, and Racing Bulls added cooling louvres and a front corner revision. But that’s it. The sense in the paddock? No one wanted to burn a major upgrade package on a potentially wet race weekend where the DRS train effect looms large.
There’s a growing expectation that wet weather will return, yet again, leading to delays, limited long-run data, and heavily compromised qualifying prep. Thankfully, the Hungaroring isn’t Spa; the slower speeds and tighter radius corners mean less danger in the wet, and the show should go on. Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this season has been defined by missed runs and conservative setups.
Ferrari, McLaren, and the Setup Mind Games
Charles Leclerc delivered a P3 result at a circuit he called his worst, though “worst” may be a stretch. His past form here has been undermined more by car limitations and Ferrari strategy errors than any innate weakness. In 2022 he looked set for a win until the team imploded on pit wall. Since then, he’s been battling a car that hasn’t always let him exploit his late-braking driving style.
This year, though, his setup looks better suited than teammate Lewis Hamilton’s high-downforce layout. The Ferrari appears to struggle with rotation when running heavier aero, and that’s made overtaking even tougher for Hamilton, especially on a track where mechanical grip and precise braking matter most. Ferrari’s greater reliance on engine braking might explain the advantage here. If the rain stays away, Leclerc could finally flip his Hungaroring narrative.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen appeared muted, with a car that still struggles in slow corners, echoing last year’s Hungary woes. But no one is ruling him out just yet. Red Bull’s sim work is notoriously dialed in for Max, and it’s almost inevitable that overnight setup changes will unlock something. Still, the team looks more Ferrari-like these days: quick over a lap, uncertain over a race stint.
Classification Recap
Top 10 from FP1:
- Lando Norris – 1:16.052
- Oscar Piastri
- Charles Leclerc
- Isack Hadjar
- Lewis Hamilton
- Oliver Bearman
- Kimi Antonelli
- George Russell
- Max Verstappen
- Lance Stroll
Piastri and Norris continue to showcase McLaren’s control of tire temperature and consistency over both short and long stints. The car doesn’t just fly over one lap, it sticks like glue over a stint, and that’s making every other team rethink their priorities. At most circuits, you’d argue that race pace trumps qualifying. But not here. Track position is king at the Hungaroring, and the McLarens might just have both.
F1natics Take
FP1 at Hungary didn’t blow the doors off in lap time deltas, but it told us everything about the state of the grid. McLaren looks locked in. Ferrari might have turned a corner, literally. Red Bull is circling the simulator. Mercedes is clinging to old specs to help its rookies. And the FIA, somehow, is still its own subplot.
If this is how the weekend starts, just wait until Quali.