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Hamilton Leads Ferrari One-Two in Hungary Practice

By NewsOracle Editorial24 July 202616:36 GMT2 min read
Based on reporting from BBC Sport
Hamilton Leads Ferrari One-Two in Hungary Practice

Key Points

  • Lewis Hamilton set the pace 0.148 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc in Friday practice at the Hungaroring.
  • Mercedes faced difficulties with championship leader Kimi Antonelli finishing 13th after two abandoned qualifying simulation attempts.
  • Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished 19th in the new car's debut, 2.990 seconds off the pace but showing progress.

Ferrari's strong showing reflected the track layout, which lends itself to the team's cornering performance. However, Mercedes appeared to have work ahead before qualifying and Sunday's race.

Behind Russell, Red Bull's Isack Hadjar finished sixth, followed by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad in the top 10.

Aston Martin's Upgrade Debut

Fernando Alonso ended the day 19th fastest in Aston Martin's new car, which features a redesigned chassis alongside its existing engine, gearbox, and front suspension. Although Alonso trailed the pace by 2.990 seconds, team principal Adrian Newey described the results as "promising." A lap nearly 0.4 seconds faster was ruled out for exceeding track limits at the final corner.

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"Provisional results are promising. It's only part of the package, so we'll have some more steps in Zandvoort and then further in Monza and Baku," Newey stated. "It's the first part of our planned upgrade. We're very short on parts, so we're being careful with it and trying to learn all about it."

Honda will introduce a new engine at the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break. Lance Stroll, Alonso's teammate, spun out during the first session with a suspected rear left suspension issue and could not participate in the second session due to insufficient repair time.

Aston Martin's improvement is significant contextually: the team has spent most of the 2026 season struggling for competitiveness, making Friday's performance a measurable step forward despite remaining well outside the podium battle.

Sources: BBC Sport and other international news outlets.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Content is based on publicly available news sources.

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