2025 Hungarian GP FP2: Norris leads again

McLaren continued their strong start to the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with another one-two in Free Practice 2, as Lando Norris led teammate Oscar Piastri under the Budapest sun, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into third. But the session wasn’t without its drama—Red Bull’s Max Verstappen endured a frustrating outing both on and off the track, with a bizarre incident at Turn 3 set to earn him a trip to the stewards.

Partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures greeted the field, with drivers quick to get out onto the revamped Hungaroring surface. Among them was Fernando Alonso, returning to the cockpit after missing FP1 due to a back injury, while Gabriel Bortoleto resumed duties for Kick Sauber after lending his car to Alpine junior Paul Aron in the earlier session. It didn’t take long for the first on-track action to unfold, as Nico Hülkenberg scattered gravel onto the racing line at Turn 12. Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto—who both ran through the debris—promptly asked their engineers to check for potential floor damage.

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Piastri was next, catching a snap of oversteer at the high-speed entry to Turn 4, while George Russell and Ollie Bearman had an awkward moment as their lines crossed through Turn 9. Early times on the board saw Norris go quickest with a 1:16.525 on the medium compound, holding a two-tenth buffer over Piastri and nearly half a second over Leclerc. At the other end of the spectrum, Red Bull were struggling to get a handle on balance—Yuki Tsunoda called the RB21’s handling “messy,” while Verstappen complained of grip issues “front and rear,” likening the experience to “driving on ice.”

As the clock ticked toward the halfway point, most teams switched focus to qualifying simulations on soft tyres. McLaren’s pace remained untouchable, with Norris setting the benchmark at 1:15.624 despite running wide at Turn 2 and later skimming the final corner runoff. Piastri was equally impressive, posting a 1:15.915 despite heavy traffic on his push lap. The papaya cars looked comfortable across all three sectors—an ominous sign for the rest of the field heading into Saturday.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc remained within striking distance in P3, while Aston Martin made a welcome step forward, with Lance Stroll and the returning Alonso finishing fourth and fifth. Lewis Hamilton slotted into sixth. Russell led the Mercedes charge in seventh, followed by Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Tsunoda, with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli completing the top 10.

Behind them, Bearman and Ocon were 11th and 12th for Haas, followed by Hülkenberg’s Sauber in 13th. Verstappen ended a troubled session in 14th and added to his woes with a strange moment at Turn 3—slowing his car to a crawl and apparently discarding a towel from the cockpit, prompting a summons from the stewards after the session.

Liam Lawson took 15th for Racing Bulls, ahead of Williams teammates Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon. Bortoleto managed 18th in the Kick Sauber, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and rookie Franco Colapinto rounded out the field in 19th and 20th, respectively. All 20 cars ended the session covered by just 1.5 seconds, but McLaren clearly held the upper hand.

With Norris topping both Friday sessions and Piastri close behind, McLaren looked poised to dictate the terms of the race as the weekend unfolded. But with Verstappen unsettled, Ferrari fast, and Alonso back in the mix, there was still plenty of story to be written at the Hungaroring.

2025 Hungarian GP FP2 Results

2025 Hungarian Grand Prix FP2, 1 August 2025