Norris beats Verstappen, Leclerc crashes out
Formula-1 Second Place Before the Leader: At the afternoon training session at the Hungaroring, Formula-1 World Champion Max Verstappen had to give in again to Lando Norris, who triumphed. Things are not going well for Charles Leclerc.
World Champion Max Verstappen had to settle for second place in the second free training session at the Hungaroring. McLaren driver Lando Norris clocked the fastest lap time of 1:17.788 minutes, significantly improving on his sixth place in the first session. The Formula-1 training in Hungary was disrupted by a crash from Charles Leclerc, costing valuable track time.
Leclerc slid off the track after just a quarter of an hour in a fast corner, hitting the barriers. The car sustained damage to both the front and rear, forcing Leclerc to retire. The session had to be suspended for repairs to the trackside barriers.
Verstappen could not manage to go below 1:18.031 minutes. Third place went to Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz, who was 0.3 seconds behind the pace-setter. Sainz had impressed in the first training session with the fastest lap time. Ferrari's updates on the car seem to be making a difference.
Sergio Perez finished fourth, having not yet received updates and getting unusually close to his teammate. The Mexican driver, who has recently had subpar performances, is facing uncertainty about his future despite a contract extension. Kevin Magnussen put in a strong performance for Haas, placing sixth between the Mercedes of George Russell (5th) and Lewis Hamilton (7th). The top 10 were completed by Daniel Ricciardo (Racing Bulls), Alexander Albon (Williams), and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin).
Nico Hülkenberg (Emmerich) finished 15th after returning to the cockpit in the first training session, having been replaced by Oliver Bearman, who will join Haas in 2025.
Saturday continues with the final training session (12.30 PM/Sky) and qualifying (4 PM/Sky and RTL). In Hungary, the starting position plays a more significant role than on other tracks. Due to the track's character with many tight corners and only one long straight, overtaking opportunities are limited during the race (Sunday, 3 PM/Sky).
Despite his best efforts, Charles Leclerc's Ferrari (Formula-1) suffered a setback during the training session, resulting in a retirement due to a crash. This incident allowed Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing to maintain his position as the leader in the championship, albeit with Lando Norris from McLaren outperforming him in that particular training session. In the ensuing Formula-1 race at Hungaroring, overtaking opportunities would be scarce, making the starting position even more crucial.
