Hungarian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc fastest as Lance Stroll's Aston Martin has suspension failure in first practice
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the first practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Aston Martin showed signs of improvement following a major technical upgrade. Despite the positive results, drivers and teams remain cautious about the competitiveness of the upcoming qualifying session.
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It provides essential updates for sports fans regarding team performance and technical developments in the Formula 1 season.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Lewis Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix a record eight times
F1 Correspondent at the Hungaroring Published 24 July 2026 Ferrari led the field by a significant margin in Friday practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix but Charles Leclerc predicted a "tight" qualifying session on Saturday.
Leclerc trailed team-mate Lewis Hamilton by 0.148 seconds with McLaren's Lando Norris 0.499secs back in third place.
Mercedes had a difficult day, championship leader Kimi Antonelli 13th fastest after a disrupted run on soft tyres and George Russell fifth.
The topic of the day was the new Aston Martin, which Fernando Alonso said felt "much better" after an encouraging debut for the team that has been at the back all season.
The veteran two-time champion was 2.990secs off the pace in 19th place but had a lap faster by 0.4secs ruled out for track limits.
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