Carlos Sainz continued his good form to overtake Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in first practice at the Hungaroring; Lando Norris fourth for McLaren ahead of the two Mercedes cars; Watch Hungarian GP second practice live on Sky Sports F1 from 3.45pm on Friday
Last update: 29/07/22 15:46
Carlos Sainz set the pace in first practice at the Hungaroring
Carlos Sainz beat Max Verstappen to set the fastest time in early practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix as Ferrari looked to have an early lead over Red Bull.
Sainz was in a three-way battle with Red Bull’s world championship leader Verstappen and Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc throughout the session, but it was the Spaniard who led the way with a 1:18.750 at the Hungaroring.
Lando Norris took fourth place for McLaren, beating the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who were separated by the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
Daniel Ricciardo’s other McLaren was half a second behind his teammate in eighth, while Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso completed the top 10.
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Sergio Perez is battling allergies in first practice as he deals with a sneezing episode on Red Bull team radio
Sergio Perez is battling allergies in first practice as he deals with a sneezing episode on Red Bull team radio
The introduction of a new rear wing appeared to offer some improvement for Aston Martin as Sebastian Vettel, who announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of the season, finished one place ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll in the 11th
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After Verstappen capitalized on Leclerc’s fall from the lead at last week’s French GP to extend his world championship lead to 63 points, Ferrari have been left with little margin for error in the remaining 10 races of the season
The expectation heading into Hungary for the final race before F1’s summer break was that the style of the circuit would suit the Italian team better than Red Bull, and early evidence suggested it could to be correct, with Sainz taking first place despite recording his best lap in Hungary. a set of tires on which he had already attempted a flying lap.
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Mick Schumacher unhappy with Ferrari after one of his cars got in the way of him improving his P1 time
Mick Schumacher unhappy with Ferrari after one of his cars got in the way of him improving his P1 time
It was also notable that Sainz got the better of team-mate Leclerc once again, as the Spaniard looked to have had the upper hand last weekend in France but was unable to challenge for victory due to a grid penalty for taking new engine parts.
Leclerc promised on Thursday that he had overcome his disastrous mistake in France, but will no doubt be keen to re-establish his status as the team’s leading driver for the rest of the weekend.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the session, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner accepted his team could be on the back foot in Budapest.
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Christian Horner predicts Ferrari will have the edge over the Red Bulls at the Hungaroring, but expects a tight battle
Christian Horner predicts Ferrari will have the edge over the Red Bulls at the Hungaroring, but expects a tight battle
“I think they could have the advantage here, but after the summer break maybe Spa, Monza can ironically come back to us,” Horner said.
“I think it will ebb and flow, but it will be very, very tight.”
Does Saturday’s forecast influence Mercedes’ approach?
Lewis Hamilton was seventh in FP1 for Mercedes
Along with Ferrari, there had also been speculation that the quietness and layout of the Hungaroring could suit Mercedes, who took their first double podium of the season last weekend in France.
While this was an encouraging result for the Silver Arrows, the reality was that if Leclerc had finished the race and Sainz had not faced a grid penalty, neither Hamilton nor Russell would have made the podium.
Ultimately, it was difficult to gauge in Friday’s opening session exactly where Mercedes stood, with both drivers spending a notable amount of time on hard tyres, while Ferrari and Red Bull prioritized the soft options more fast
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Nicholas Latifi’s helmet cam gives us the driver’s view of a lap around the Hungaroring in practice 1
Nicholas Latifi’s helmet cam gives us the driver’s view of a lap around the Hungaroring in practice 1
This decision was likely influenced by the fact that rain is expected throughout the day on Saturday, meaning there is unlikely to be any dry racing in the third practice, while qualifying also looks almost certain to be will do in wet conditions.
The only point of the session, around the halfway point of the stage, when Mercedes tried the soft run, Russell was second and Hamilton fifth, with both drivers three-tenths off the leading time at that stage, which which suggests they may be closer to their rivals than they are. this was the case in France, when the margin was often around a full second.
The forecast, which also calls for rain and cooler conditions for Sunday’s race, will no doubt be a factor on the minds of all teams as they prepare for Practice Two, which is broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 from 16:00 on Friday.