Tight Competition in Final Practice
McLaren driver Lando Norris set the fastest time during Saturday’s third practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He finished ahead of Ferrari‘s Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes‘ Kimi Antonelli, indicating a close contest among the teams.
Norris recorded a best time of 1 minute 17.939 seconds at the Hungaroring, which was just over a tenth of a second quicker than both Hamilton and Antonelli. The session took place in hot conditions as drivers prepared for the upcoming qualifying session.
The session began at 12:30 local time with Alpine‘s Franco Colapinto being the first on track. Colapinto had experienced car damage on Friday after sliding into the barriers. Lance Stroll also made an early appearance after missing a previous session due to a suspension issue, aiming to understand the updated Aston Martin car.
Session Interruptions and Driver Performances
Early in the session, Arvid Lindblad‘s Racing Bulls car remained on jacks due to a power unit issue, following a similar problem with teammate Liam Lawson‘s car overnight. Norris initially led with a time of 1 minute 19.062 seconds on soft tyres, ahead of Red Bull‘s Isack Hadjar.
The practice session was briefly interrupted when Sergio Perez‘s Cadillac car stopped near Turn 2, leading to a red flag. Perez reported losing the engine and experiencing brake issues. The session resumed at 12:56, allowing drivers just over 30 minutes to complete their practice programmes.
Antonelli, George Russell, and Max Verstappen joined the track later in the session. Antonelli’s initial lap placed him sixth before being disallowed for exceeding track limits. Hamilton then took the lead for Ferrari with a 1 minute 19.053 second lap, followed by teammate Charles Leclerc who posted a 1 minute 18.668 second time. Antonelli then positioned himself between the two Ferrari drivers.
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris NOR | 1:17.939 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton HAM | +0.117s |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli ANT | +0.129s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc LEC | +0.352s |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri PIA | +0.499s |
In the final 15 minutes, Antonelli briefly moved to the top with a time of 1 minute 18.254 seconds. However, Norris, driving an upgraded McLaren, reclaimed the lead with a 1 minute 18.206 second lap. Hamilton then improved his time to 1 minute 18.056 seconds, but Norris ultimately secured the fastest time of 1 minute 17.939 seconds.
Final Standings and Team Updates
Antonelli finished third, ahead of Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Russell secured sixth place, while Verstappen and Hadjar of Red Bull took seventh and eighth positions, respectively. Lawson achieved ninth for Racing Bulls, followed by Audi drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
The updated Aston Martin cars of Fernando Alonso and Stroll, along with Cadillac‘s Valtteri Bottas and the Williams pair of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, rounded out the back of the field. The Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman were also present. The session highlights the competitive nature among McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes as they head into qualifying.
Earlier in the week, Leclerc was the quickest in the first practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, despite an issue with his Ferrari in the closing stages. During that session, Hamilton also reported issues with his car’s upshifts and downshifts. Stroll’s car experienced a left-rear suspension failure in the first practice, which brought out a red flag.
Aston Martin arrived in Budapest with a 16-part car upgrade. Chief trackside officer Mike Krack discussed the team’s development strategy, noting that success and setbacks are part of the sport. He emphasized that the upgrade is part of ongoing development rather than a make-or-break situation.
Source: formula1.com
