2026 F1 Hungarian GP FP1 – Highlights and Reaction

Welcome to Total-Motorsport.com for live coverage of FP1 at the 2026 F1 Hungarian GP, as Formula 1 begins the final race weekend before the summer break at the Hungaroring.

Kimi Antonelli arrives in Hungary with growing control of the championship after claiming his sixth victory of the season at the Belgian GP. The Mercedes driver won from pole at Spa-Francorchamps and extended his advantage over Lewis Hamilton to 45 points.

Charles Leclerc finished second in Belgium for Ferrari, ahead of Max Verstappen for Red Bull Racing. Hamilton recovered from a difficult opening lap to finish fourth, while Oscar Piastri and Isack Hadjar completed the top six.

The focus now shifts to a very different circuit. Spa rewarded straight-line speed, aerodynamic efficiency and confidence through fast corners, while the Hungaroring demands strong low-speed rotation, traction and consistent balance through a relentless sequence of turns.

F1 2026 Hungarian GP FP1 LIVE: Latest News and Updates

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RESULTS: Ferrari set the pace in Budapest

Ferrari lead the way after Free Practice 1 as Charles Leclerc delivers a 1:19.075 ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Can the Dutchman close in in FP2?

And what can Kimi Antonelli do when he steps into the car for Mercedes after sitting out?

Here are your FP1 results.

Pos	Driver	Team	Gap
1	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:19.075
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.484
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.543
4	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+0.922
5	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.991
6	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.285
7	Fred Vesti	Mercedes	+1.392
8	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.548
9	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+1.685
10	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+1.791
11	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.949
12	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.976
13	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.475
14	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+2.629
15	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.744
16	Leonardo Fornaroli	McLaren	+2.815
17	Ryo Hirakawa	Haas	+2.926
18	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+3.014
19	Paul Aron	Alpine	+3.093
20	Colton Herta	Cadillac	+4.043
21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+4.396
22	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+4.659

CHEQUERED FLAG: Leclerc tops FP1

Charles Leclerc led a disrupted FP1 session at the 2026 Hungarian GP, setting the pace for Ferrari with a 1:19.075 before ending the session early with a suspected gearbox issue.

Max Verstappen was second fastest for Red Bull, while Lewis Hamilton completed the top three despite struggling with the SF-26’s roll stiffness, shifting and overall balance.

Elsewhere, Lance Stroll triggered a brief red flag after a rear-left suspension failure on Aston Martin’s upgraded car, whilst Carlos Sainz and Verstappen were both noted for erratic driving incidents.

While multiple drivers struggled with track limits at the Hungaroring in a far-from-easy session.

7 minutes to go: Leclerc OUT of FP1

After clearly looking like the fastest man in Free Practice 1, Charles Leclerc’s afternoon is now over with an apparent gearbox problem in the closing stages!

The Ferrari comes limping back into the pits and cannot even make it back to his own garage as he stops in front of the FIA’s weighing bridge.

Can Ferrari identify and solve the issue before FP2, or will he need a new gearbox?

10 minutes to go: Huge lock-up for Sainz

Carlos Sainz gets his braking point all wrong into Turn 1 and has a huge off at the first corner of the lap – and he is fortunate there is ample run-off space.

The Spaniard locks his fronts and then locks his rears in his desperation to stop too.

He avoids the wall, but not by too much.

15 minutes to go: Track limits breaches so far

Drivers aren’t finding it too easy out there to keep their cars on the Hungaroring’s asphalt, with Turn 1 and Turn 7 being particular issues for the grid.

Lando Norris has gone off track twice as the defending world champion pushes to the limit for McLaren, whilst George Russell also had a big off at Turn 1 too.

Check out the full list below:

Driver	Time Deleted	Location
Leonardo Fornaroli	1:57.067	Turn 1
George Russell	No Time Given	Turn 1
Lando Norris	No Time Given	Turn 11
Alexander Albon	No time Given	Turn 1
Gabriel Bortoleto	1:22.129	Turn 3
Colton Herta	1:58.547	Turn 1
Paul Aron	1:51.568	Turn 1
Lando Norris	1:22.404	Turn 9
Pierre Gasly	1:24.549	Turn 7
Colton Herta	1:27.157	Turn 7
Liam Lawson	1:23.506	Turn 7

20 minutes to go: Your order as Hamilton complains

Charles Leclerc leads the way by a sound margin to Max Verstappen and a seemingly off-colour Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled in Free Practice 1 today.

The seven-time world champion struggled with his car roll stiffness and now has issues with the downshifting and upshifting for extra measure too.

There is work to do if the 41-year-old hopes to win the Hungarian GP this weekend.

Pos	Driver	Team	Gap
1	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:19.075
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.484
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.543
4	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+0.922
5	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.991
6	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.285
7	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.548
8	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+1.685
9	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+1.791
10	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.949
11	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.744
12	Leonardo Fornaroli	McLaren	+2.815
13	Fred Vesti	Mercedes	+2.939
14	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+3.014
15	Paul Aron	Alpine	+3.093
16	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+3.173
17	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+3.619
18	Colton Herta	Cadillac	+4.043
19	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+4.144
20	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+4.396
21	Ryo Hirakawa	Haas	+4.565
22	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+4.659

22 minutes to go: Stroll OUT of FP1

Lance Stroll is out of Free Practice 1 with a spontaneous suspension failure on his rear-left tyre on his Aston Martin, as he comes to a stop at the exit of Turn 2.

That’s disappointing for the Canadian and for his team on the weekend that they debuted a B Spec car in a bid to close the gap to the rest of the field.

There is a brief red flag that is rescinded once the drivers are back into the pits, and the exit of the pit lane is now closed for extra measure.

The clock continues ticking down.

25 minutes to go: Ferrari take over once again

Charles Leclerc is now back ahead of Max Verstappen with a 1:19.075 that clears the Red Bull by 0.484 tenths as he continues to retain a commanding advantage.

Lewis Hamilton is third in the other Ferrari, and is an alarming half-a-second behind his teammate!

He is struggling with his car set-up, however.

27 minutes to go: Russell locks up into Turn 1

Turn 1 is a little bit of a problem for the drivers at the Hungarian GP as they persistently find themselves locking up and running wide at the medium-speed right-hander.

Alex Albon had a big off a few seconds ago and now George Russell has done so in the Mercedes, with a major lock-up and no doubt a flat-spotted tyre.

Some brake bias adjustments needed to make sure the car is under control.

30 minutes to go: Verstappen takes over at the top!

Max Verstappen and George Russell beat the Ferrari cars as they begin their soft tyre runs and we get the first real qualifying simulations of the weekend at the Hungaroring.

Verstappen delivered a 1:19.559 to comfortably clear Russell by over half-a-second.

Can Ferrari respond?

Pos	Driver	Team	Gap
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:19.559
2	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.507
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.728
4	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+1.054
5	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.201
6	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.230
7	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+1.307
8	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.866
9	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+2.057
10	Lando Norris	McLaren	+2.228
11	Leonardo Fornaroli	McLaren	+2.331
12	Fred Vesti	Mercedes	+2.455
13	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+2.689
14	Paul Aron	Alpine	+3.135
15	Alexander Albon	Williams	+3.447
16	Colton Herta	Cadillac	+3.559
17	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.660
18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.912
19	Paul Aron	Alpine	+4.028
20	Ryo Hirakawa	Haas	+4.081
21	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.089
22	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+4.175

35 minutes to go: Problems for Ferrari and Hamilton?

Lewis Hamilton comes onto the radio to tell Carlos Santi that his Ferrari feels bad all over, and when asked for clarification he specifies the roll stiffness.

That relates to how the SF-26 was transferring weight through corners. If the car is too stiff or too soft in roll, it can reduce front grip, destabilise the rear or make direction changes inconsistent.

Given he’s second in the times, that’s still encouraging for the Brit.

40 minutes to go: Verstappen also noted

Max Verstappen has also been noted by the FIA for driving erratically in that earlier incident with Carlos Sainz, and both will be investigated after the session.

The Red Bull must have sharply stopped at the exit of the corner out of frustration with the Williams, and he has been known to do this sort of thing in the past when he feels wrong.

Let’s see what the FIA make of it.

45 minutes to go: Ferrari 1-2 in Hungary

Charles Leclerc leads the way for Ferrari ahead of his teammate as the Scuderia show a strong turn of pace in the opening stages of Free Practice 1.

Can they hold on to this advantage, or can Red Bull’s Max Verstappen find some extra time in third place?

Also remember, Kimi Antonelli is not competing in FP1.

Pos	Driver	Team	Time
1	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.287
2	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.326
3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.501
4	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.556
5	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.170
6	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.217
7	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.332
8	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.500
9	Leonardo Fornaroli	McLaren	+1.603
10	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.842
11	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+2.287
12	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+2.407
13	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.932
14	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.184
15	Paul Aron	Alpine	+3.300
16	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+3.361
17	Alexander Albon	Williams	+3.391
18	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+3.447
19	Ryo Hirakawa	Haas	+3.932
20	Colton Herta	Cadillac	+4.556
21	Fred Vesti	Mercedes	+5.090
22	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+8.102

47 minutes to go: Hamilton gets in Leclerc’s way

Is there a bit of gamesmanship going on at Ferrari after Lewis Hamilton warned Charles Leclerc he was going to up his game at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend?

Leclerc heads into one of the final corners of his lap at the Hungaroring only to spot his teammate going slowly and seemingly not paying attention, forcing him to back off.

We see this from time to time from rivals, but it could just be some early cobwebs in Free Practice 1.

50 minutes to go: Sainz noted by FIA

Max Verstappen isn’t impressed with Carlos Sainz as the Williams driver goes slowly on the racing line, with the four-time world champion accusing him of slamming on the brakes.

The Dutchman feels the Spaniard caused a dangerous situation as he complained to Gianpiero Lambiase over the team radio at the Hungaroring.

And the FIA have now noted Sainz for the incident for driving erratically, who claimed his radio wire was not connected.

52 minutes to go: Hamilton almost spins in the final corner!

Lewis Hamilton has a purple Sector 1 and a purple Sector 2 but almost spins in the final corner with the rear end of his SF-26 far from compliant for the 41-year-old.

The Brit gets slightly off the racing line and onto the marbles, running onto all of the dust and unable to get the power down as a result at the Hungaroring.

He almost gets sideways a few times, before abandoning the lap, which looked handy to be fair to him.

He just needs to polish up the final corner.

Lots of rookies in Free Practice 1

Under the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, every team is required to give rookie drivers additional track time during official practice sessions as part of an initiative to help develop young talent.

So each car must be handed over to a rookie driver twice per season, and as every team enters two cars, this means four mandatory rookie practice sessions per team across the championship.

With teams gathering lots of data at the Hungaroring over the years, a track that has rarely changed, making it a perfect location to test some rookies.

Driver	Driver Replaced	Team
Fred Vesti	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes
Leonardo Fornaroli	Oscar Piastri	McLaren
Paul Aron	Franco Colapinto	Alpine
Ryo Hirakawa	Ollie Bearman	Haas
Colton Herta	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac

GREEN FLAG: Free Practice 1 begins

We have cars on track very quickly at the Hungaroring as drivers rush out of the pits in a bid to make the most of the upcoming hour in Free Practice 1 on this Friday afternoon.

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari has just passed Turn 4 whilst Charles Leclerc is getting ready to start a lap on the medium tyre for the Scuderia, days after finishing second at the Belgian GP.

Stay tuned with Total-Motorsport.com!

Red Bull will not abandon ‘Macarena wing’?

Red Bull has no plans to shelve its innovative “Macarena” rear wing despite the problems that forced it off the car at the Belgian GP, in what turned out to be a successful weekend for the team.

Max Verstappen finished third without the part but it will be back on the car at the Hungaroring as the team has worked on a revised version and intends to resume testing once it is satisfied the underlying fault has been eliminated.

The concept was withdrawn after Max Verstappen experienced two similar high-speed incidents in Austria and Britain, where the rear wing failed to return close after switching out of its low-drag mode, leaving the car with a sudden reduction in rear grip during corner entry.

Verstappen labelled the issue “super dangerous” after the second incident, and Red Bull’s engineers spent the period following Silverstone investigating the failure and believe they have now identified and corrected the cause.

Laurent Mekies has said the issue has been resolved, while technical director Pierre Wache explained that the updated design is expected to be assessed during practice in Hungary before any decision is made on using it competitively.

Keep an eye on McLaren

McLaren arrive at the Hungarian GP with one of the most anticipated upgrade packages of the season, introducing a comprehensive aerodynamic update alongside an experimental “Macarena-style” rear wing that will initially be evaluated during FP1.

The team believes the revisions will improve the MCL40’s overall performance, particularly on circuits that reward high downforce and efficient aerodynamic load, and the Hungaroring provides an ideal first test for the package.

Its slow- and medium-speed corners place far less emphasis on engine power than Spa-Francorchamps, allowing McLaren to focus on extracting maximum grip and aerodynamic performance while assessing how the upgrades affect balance and tyre management.

Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are expected to spend Friday gathering valuable comparison data as engineers work to understand the new components.

But while McLaren is optimistic the update represents a meaningful step forward, Norris, the defending world champion, has cautioned against expecting an immediate transformation.

What will engineers look for at the Hungaroring?

FP1 is also the first opportunity to evaluate new upgrade packages as teams introducing revised aerodynamic components or suspension changes compare data from the new specification against simulation models.

Aston Martin, notably, this weekend will aim to confirm the expected performance gains are appearing on track as they look to overhaul their 2026 F1 season after a dismal start.

At a circuit like the Hungaroring, engineers pay particular attention to high-downforce performance, low-speed balance, tyre temperatures and mechanical grip, as these areas are likely to determine competitiveness for the rest of the weekend.

While lap times attract attention, teams are often more interested in gathering reliable data than topping the timing screens, making FP1 as much an engineering exercise as a competitive session.

What is Free Practice 1?

If you are new to Formula 1 and rather unsure of what Free Practice is, Total-Motorsport.com has you covered with a brief guide to the opening session of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Free Practice 1 (FP1) is the first on-track session of an F1 weekend and lasts 60 minutes. No championship points are awarded, but it is one of the most important sessions for teams.

They begin understanding how their cars perform at a particular circuit, and teams typically divide FP1 into several objectives:

• Installation laps: Drivers complete an initial lap to confirm all systems are working correctly after the cars have been rebuilt and transported to the circuit.
  
• Aerodynamic testing: Teams often use flow-vis paint, aero rakes or sensor arrays to measure airflow around new parts and compare real-world data with wind tunnel and simulator predictions.
  
• Setup evaluation: Engineers experiment with wing levels, ride height, suspension settings, brake balance and differential maps to find the best compromise for the circuit’s characteristics.
  
• Tyre assessment: Drivers evaluate the available tyre compounds, focusing on warm-up, grip, degradation and long-run consistency. At the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, Pirelli has supplied the C3 (hard), C4 (medium) and C5 (soft) compounds.
  
• Performance runs: As the track evolves, teams complete low-fuel qualifying simulations to gauge one-lap pace before switching to heavier fuel loads for race simulations.
  
• Driver feedback: Engineers rely heavily on drivers to report issues such as understeer, oversteer, braking stability, traction and tyre behaviour, helping refine the setup before FP2.

Welcome to the Blog!

Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes are not the favourites for just a second time in the 2026 Formula 1 season since his breakout victory in China, with Ferrari expected to hold the edge in Hungary.

Can Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc deny the 19-year-old a seventh win of the campaign? We will all find out on Sunday, July 26 but for now, the aim is to hit the ground running in Free Practice 1.

Teams will work on getting their set-ups into the sweet spot, testing qualifying pace and long runs at the Hungaroring.

Antonelli carries championship momentum into Hungary

Antonelli has established himself as the benchmark of the 2026 season, winning six of the opening 10 races and repeatedly converting strong qualifying performances into victories.

His Belgian GP success reinforced that advantage, although the race was not entirely straightforward. Antonelli had to manage pressure, changing strategy and track-limit concerns before securing another important victory for Mercedes.

Hungary presents a different technical examination. The 4.381km Hungaroring is narrow, twisty and traditionally difficult for overtaking, placing extra emphasis on qualifying preparation and the ability to generate tyre performance over one lap.

FP1 will provide the first indication of whether Mercedes can carry their recent form into a circuit dominated by medium and low-speed corners. The car must change direction cleanly through the middle sector while maintaining traction out of the slower turns, particularly Turn 1, Turn 2 and the final corner.

Antonelli will also need to establish a reliable baseline quickly because track evolution can be significant across the weekend. The surface is often dusty at the start of Friday, meaning lap times should improve as more rubber is laid down.

Russell looks to respond after Belgian GP retirement

George Russell enters the Hungarian GP seeking an immediate response after retiring from the race at Spa following a collision with Hamilton.

His Belgian weekend had already been complicated by a technical issue that affected straight-line speed and energy deployment. Mercedes have since identified and corrected the underlying calibration problem, giving Russell renewed confidence before FP1.

The Hungaroring should place less emphasis on outright straight-line performance than Spa, but efficient energy use and predictable power delivery will still matter. Drivers need clean acceleration from slow corners because passing opportunities are limited and mistakes can compromise several turns in succession.

FP1 will be an important validation session for Russell and Mercedes. The team must confirm that the issue has been fully resolved while also finding a setup that gives both drivers confidence through the long, connected middle sector.

With Russell now third in the championship, the British driver needs a strong weekend before the summer break to prevent Antonelli from building an even larger advantage.

Ferrari could suit the Hungaroring challenge

Ferrari arrive in Hungary with reasons for optimism after consecutive competitive weekends. Leclerc won at Silverstone before finishing second at Spa, while Hamilton remains Antonelli’s closest championship challenger.

The Hungaroring’s characteristics may provide another opportunity for the Scuderia. The circuit places less emphasis on low-drag efficiency than Belgium and rewards a car that can rotate effectively through slower corners while protecting the rear tyres under acceleration.

Hamilton has an exceptional record in Hungary, where he has claimed eight Grand Prix victories and nine pole positions. Another win would give him a record ninth Hungarian GP success, although the immediate focus in FP1 will be understanding how the Ferrari behaves across longer corner sequences.

Leclerc will also be closely watched after continuing his strong form at Spa. His confidence under braking and ability to carry speed through technical sections could make him a major threat if Ferrari begin the weekend in the correct operating window.

Both drivers will need to monitor tyre temperatures carefully. High ambient and track temperatures can increase degradation, while slower traffic around the narrow circuit can make cooling difficult during longer runs.

McLaren and Red Bull face important opening session

McLaren will be aiming to return to the front after a mixed Belgian GP. Piastri finished fifth, while Lando Norris recovered to seventh after starting outside the top 10 because of a grid penalty.

The Hungaroring has historically suited cars with strong aerodynamic balance and efficient performance through linked corners. That should give McLaren an opportunity to challenge, but the team must find more one-lap pace than it displayed during parts of the Belgian weekend.

Norris won the 2025 Hungarian GP and returns to Budapest with positive memories of the circuit. FP1 will show whether McLaren can immediately establish the front-end confidence required through Turns 4 to 11, where one mistake can compromise the remainder of the sequence.

Red Bull Racing also arrive with a realistic chance of challenging. Verstappen finished third in Belgium and has previously demonstrated that recovery drives are possible in Hungary, although track position remains especially valuable.

The team’s performance in slow and medium-speed corners will be scrutinised closely during FP1. If the Red Bull Racing car struggles with rotation or traction, overtaking difficulty could make qualifying preparation even more important.

Aston Martin introduce major Hungarian GP upgrade

Aston Martin will attract significant attention during FP1 as the team introduces a major upgrade package at the Hungaroring.

Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are expected to run the updated specification, which includes changes intended to reduce weight and improve aerodynamic performance.

The team have endured a difficult 2026 campaign and enter Hungary at the bottom end of the Constructors’ Championship. FP1 will therefore be less about headline lap times and more about gathering clean comparison data, checking correlation and understanding the new package.

The Hungaroring should provide a thorough aerodynamic test because the lap contains few long straights and offers little recovery time between corners. Any improvement in balance or downforce should become apparent through the middle sector, although the team may need several sessions to optimise the changes.

Heat, tyres and track evolution take centre stage

FP1 begins at 13:30 local time and should take place in warm conditions, increasing the importance of tyre management and cooling.

The Hungaroring places continuous lateral energy through the tyres because the corners arrive in quick succession. Although the outright speeds are lower than at Spa or Silverstone, the compounds receive little time to recover across the lap.

Graining could become a factor on the softer tyres, particularly while the surface remains relatively green. Teams will use FP1 to assess warm-up, degradation and balance changes before turning their attention towards longer runs in FP2.

Cooling will also be important. The circuit’s slower average speed means less airflow reaches the brakes, power unit and bodywork, forcing teams to consider additional cooling without sacrificing too much aerodynamic performance.

Traffic is another regular problem. The narrow layout can make it difficult for drivers to create space before flying laps, while slower cars can compromise several corners because there are limited places to move aside safely.

What to watch in Hungarian GP FP1

The opening session should provide the first clues about whether Mercedes can maintain their advantage or whether Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull Racing are better suited to the Hungaroring. Key themes to watch include:

• Antonelli’s pace after winning the Belgian GP
• Russell’s response after his Spa retirement
• whether Mercedes’ technical issue has been fully resolved
• Hamilton’s attempt to challenge at one of his strongest circuits
• Leclerc’s form after victory at Silverstone and second place in Belgium
• Norris and Piastri’s early balance for McLaren
• Verstappen’s low-speed performance for Red Bull Racing
• Alonso and Stroll’s first running with the Aston Martin upgrade

With Antonelli carrying championship momentum, Hamilton and Leclerc leading Ferrari’s challenge, McLaren returning to a circuit where they won last season and Aston Martin unveiling a crucial upgrade, FP1 at the 2026 Hungarian GP should offer an intriguing opening picture.

Stay with Total-Motorsport.com for live lap times, practice updates, driver feedback, technical developments and all the key moments from FP1 at the 2026 F1 Hungarian GP.