The brief
- Fastest: Lewis Hamilton topped FP2 in 1:18.729, 0.148 seconds ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
- The order: Lando Norris was third, Max Verstappen fourth and George Russell fifth.
- The complication: Franco Colapinto’s crash brought out the red flag, while Lance Stroll could not run after his FP1 suspension problem.
Ferrari found the cleanest lap
Friday’s second session ended with Ferrari on top, but the margin was not large enough to turn practice into a prediction. Hamilton’s 1:18.729 was only 0.148 seconds clear of Leclerc and 0.499 seconds ahead of Norris. Verstappen and Russell completed a tightly packed top five.
The bigger signal was how hard the circuit was making every car work. Drivers reported lock-ups, poor balance and a lack of grip as the wind changed. That is a difficult environment for teams still learning their upgrades, and the Hungaroring’s long sequence of corners offers few places to hide a balance problem.
The upgrade story is not finished
Aston Martin arrived with what Formula1.com described as its most significant update package, effectively a B-specification car. The team lost track time when Stroll’s suspension issue ended his FP1, then he remained in the garage for all of FP2 while Fernando Alonso carried the data load.
McLaren also brought a substantial package, and Norris placed third despite the session’s interruptions. Red Bull’s returning rotating rear wing added another variable, while Verstappen’s run was compromised after contact with debris from Alonso’s Aston Martin.
Colapinto’s crash at the final corner was the most visible reminder of the grip problem. The Alpine driver lost the rear and backed into the barrier, leaving the team with an overnight repair. The headline belongs to Hamilton; the paddock’s real work begins with understanding why the track punished so many cars differently.