Charles Leclerc Tops Opening Practice as Ferrari Shows Strong Early Pace in Hungary

Image: RaceGear NG X @RaceGearNG

By Open Chronicle

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the opening practice session for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, leading a competitive Friday morning at the Hungaroring as Ferrari continued its impressive run of form following last week’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The Monegasque clocked a best lap of 1:19.075, comfortably finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by nearly half a second. Despite reporting a late technical concern that forced him back to the garage before the end of the session, Leclerc’s benchmark remained unbeaten as the chequered flag fell.

📻 "Something broke"

Leclerc finished FP1 on top but his session ended early 👀#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/4tlZg25MRA

— US/UKsportsHQ (@GOsisike) July 24, 2026

Ferrari Continues to Build Momentum

Ferrari arrived in Budapest carrying confidence after a victory at Spa-Francorchamps, and the opening practice suggested the Scuderia could once again be among the favourites.

Leclerc consistently ran near the front throughout the session before producing the fastest lap on the soft tyres. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, completed a strong showing by finishing third, although the seven-time world champion complained over team radio that the Ferrari felt excessively stiff during the early stages of the session.

The encouraging pace comes despite the Hungaroring traditionally presenting a very different challenge from the high-speed characteristics of Spa.

Verstappen Keeps Red Bull in the Fight

Max Verstappen finished second after briefly leading the session when the field switched to soft tyres.

The Dutchman was involved in several notable moments, including an early radio complaint after encountering Carlos Sainz driving slowly on the racing line.

“It is unbelievable and dangerous,” Verstappen reported over the radio.

Although Red Bull could not match Leclerc’s ultimate pace, the reigning champion remained within striking distance as teams continued evaluating their setups for qualifying and race conditions.

Racing Bulls youngster Isack Hadjar delivered another impressive performance by securing fourth place, while George Russell rounded out the top five for Mercedes.

Bortoleto Impresses with Top Six Finish

One of the standout performances of the session came from Gabriel Bortoleto.

The Brazilian continued his impressive rookie campaign by placing sixth for Audi, maintaining competitive pace throughout the one-hour session and finishing ahead of several established front-running drivers.

His teammate Nico Hülkenberg also enjoyed a productive morning, ending the session eighth, giving Audi two cars inside the top ten.

Rookie Drivers Gain Valuable Running

As required by Formula One regulations, five rookie drivers took part in the opening practice session.

Frederik Vesti produced the strongest performance among the newcomers after replacing championship leader Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, finishing an excellent seventh overall.

Leonardo Fornaroli took over Lando Norris’ McLaren and ended sixteenth, while Ryō Hirakawa placed seventeenth for Haas.

Paul Aron completed Alpine’s programme in nineteenth, with Colton Herta making his latest appearance for Cadillac in twentieth.

Arvid Lindblad, although already more experienced, also continued to impress by placing ninth for Racing Bulls.

Aston Martin Unveils Major Upgrade Package

Much of the technical attention in Budapest centred on Aston Martin, which introduced its first major development package of the season.

The British team arrived with an extensive package reportedly consisting of sixteen individual updates, effectively transforming large sections of the AMR26.

The early signs appeared encouraging, with Fernando Alonso finishing thirteenth before teammate Lance Stroll’s session ended prematurely following a suspension failure.

The Canadian spun into the run-off area before the suspension broke completely, bringing out the session’s only red flag.

Mechanical Issues Interrupt Several Teams

The session was not without incidents.

Carlos Sainz spent almost twenty minutes in the Williams garage while mechanics worked on setup-related adjustments before later locking his brakes and running straight into the escape road, triggering a late yellow flag.

Leclerc also encountered a technical issue shortly before the end of the session, reporting that “something broke” before carefully returning to the pit lane, where Ferrari mechanics immediately surrounded the car to investigate the problem.

Alpine Stands Still as Rivals Develop

Among the ten Formula One teams, Alpine was the only constructor to arrive in Hungary without bringing any new upgrades.

With several rivals introducing significant aerodynamic developments, including Aston Martin’s comprehensive package, Alpine faces an important weekend as it attempts to remain competitive without fresh components.

Hungarian Grand Prix FP1 Results

With Free Practice 1 complete, attention now turns to Friday afternoon’s second practice session, where teams will focus on long run simulations and qualifying preparation ahead of what promises to be another closely contested weekend at the Hungaroring.