Winners and losers from Hungarian GP F1 practice
Formula 1 practice sessions at the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Ferrari and Max Verstappen showing strong form, while Mercedes struggled with track conditions and setup. Aston Martin continued to face difficulties following recent upgrades.
Why it matters
Performance analysis in F1 practice provides insight into the competitive landscape and technical development of teams during the 2026 season.
Formula 1 Winners and losers from Hungarian GP F1 practice The Race Team 24 Jul 2026 — 5 min read Aston Martin's rollercoaster 'new upgrade day' dominated the headlines at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday - so that means all the more reason to delve a little deeper in how the rest of the Formula 1 field fared.
Here are our pick of winners and losers from Friday at the Hungaroring.
Mercedes' position as a loser has to come with the caveat that Kimi Antonelli couldn't get a flying lap in on the softs when it counted in FP2, the most representative session.
However, the Ferraris and Max Verstappen in FP1/Lando Norris in FP2 have locked out the top three in both practice sessions; for Mercedes, George Russell was its top driver in both sessions in fifth.
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