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While McLaren displayed dominance in partly cloudy conditions, Red Bull emerged as the pace deficit team during FP2.
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There was no slowing down for McLaren at the Hungaroring. Lando Norris posted the fastest lap in Free Practice 2, just 0.291 seconds ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen also attracted stewards’ attention for an unusual cockpit incident.
Mclaren Masterclass
Norris set the bar with a scorching 1:15.624, topping the timesheets and edging out Piastri by nearly three-tenths of a second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into third, a further 0.399s adrift, maintaining the same top-three order from FP1.
However, the two McLarens also made uncharacteristic errors. Piastri dipped two wheels into the gravel exiting the chicane during a push lap, while Norris speared into the runoff at the final corner after grazing the grass on turn-in.
To cap things off, Norris and Piastri nearly collided at Turn 1 in the final moments of the session when Norris, exiting the pits, locked up and ran deep just as Piastri was turning into the corner.
Aston Martin surprised with pace, as both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso slotted into P4 and P5 respectively, demonstrating solid medium‑run pace. This was especially notable as Alonso returned for FP2 after missing FP1 due to back issues, with Felipe Drugovich substituting.
Verstappen under Spotlight
Despite Red Bull’s previous speed in the season, FP2 showed them well off the pace—Max Verstappen finished 14th, trailing the leaders by 1.167 seconds. His day ended under scrutiny for a bizarre gesture: tossing a towel from his cockpit, prompting an FIA investigation.
Teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished ninth, also citing severe balance issues throughout the session, including comments about “struggling” with the grip of the car. The same was reflected by Verstappen as he compared it to “driving on ice”.
Traffic and Radio Drama
George Russell and Oliver Bearman had a tense moment through Turns 8 and 9. Russell, attempting to let Bearman through, was surprised by the Haas driver’s trajectory and questioned over team radio: “What’s Bearman doing? I was on the left-hand side, I was letting him by.”
Carlos Sainz nearly returned to the Williams garage after losing all radio and telemetry. The team later instructed him to stay out, but his unaware presence on track infuriated Liam Lawson, who exclaimed: “Oh my god, man, look at this!” Racing Bulls quickly clarified: “He lost radio. He lost radio and telemetry.”
Isack Hadjar added to the team’s frustration in traffic, venting about Russell during long-run simulations: “Is this guy doing this on purpose or what? What’s wrong with him?”
Featured Image Credit : McLaren Racing
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