From Budapest
Ferrari takes center stage on Friday in Budapest, confirming that it has a car well-suited to the technical Hungaroring. On a slippery and wind-swept track, the SF-26 stood out for the cleanliness of its trajectories, both in the hands of Leclerc and Hamilton. Mercedes, on the other hand, appeared decidedly more nervous, although Antonelli showed in the race pace that the W17 has what it takes to challenge the Red cars.
Read more Even Leclerc is wary: “The gap won’t be this in qualifying”
A beautiful Ferrari
Ferrari’s emphatic 1-2, capable of putting half a second on the first of its pursuers, perfectly summarizes the first day of track action in Budapest. If Leclerc had set the fastest time in the first session, it was Hamilton’s turn in the evening. The British champion did not accept the error made at the penultimate corner in his first qualifying simulation, insisting on a second attempt with which he climbed to the top of the standings. Both Ferrari drivers then showed a respectable pace in the race simulation as well, confirming the substance of the SF-26 in Budapest.
All this happened on a day that was anything but easy due to the weather conditions, with wide temperature swings and strong winds that destabilized the 2026 single-seaters quite a bit. In such a delicate context, Ferrari stood out positively, looking beautiful to watch in the third sector, over which the Hungaroring press room offers a privileged view. The SF-26s were the only ones to repeatedly tackle the long Turn 13 staying glued to the curb, with good stability both on entry and when getting back on the throttle.
These are all signs of a solid aerodynamic platform, capable not only of generating a lot of downforce but also of resisting external disturbances. It’s no coincidence that Ferrari dominated both practice sessions, despite more than 10°C difference on the asphalt. The icing on the cake for the Prancing Horse was the approval of the new high-downforce Macarena wing, compared with the simplified version during the first practice session, receiving the green light immediately after.
Antonelli is in the game
Friday in Budapest in many respects recalls that of Monte Carlo, when Ferrari also showed its potential on that occasion, only to have to surrender to Mercedes in the following days. The question is not whether Ferrari risks falling behind again in this case, but rather how much room for growth the competition has. Mercedes certainly has plenty, with George Russell harshly criticizing its balance, after being caught several times controlling the W17 with counter-steer.
The Silver Arrow also appeared nervous in Antonelli’s hands, whose error at the chicane prevented him from completing a qualifying simulation. The world championship leader spoke of his car’s tendency to lock the rear, perhaps also due to the downforce lost at the rear due to the wind. Yet, the Italian then impressed in the race simulation, sending encouraging signals ahead of qualifying and the race, despite the work to be done with the setup.
Mercedes’ setbacks and difficulties have momentarily elevated Lando Norris to the first of the pursuers, half a second behind Ferrari. McLaren has never shied away from medium-speed corners, which are so abundant in Budapest, but the feeling is that the updates to the floor and the aerodynamics of the wheel groups have led to a leap forward, especially regarding wind sensitivity. Red Bull also introduced novelties, equipped with a new diffuser. However, Verstappen improved by less than just a tenth between the first and second sessions, leading to the belief that the setup evolution was not among the most effective.
The pace comparison
The red flag triggered by Franco Colapinto limited the time available for race simulations in the afternoon session, from which important indications nevertheless emerged. Despite a relatively cool track, with less than 30°C on the asphalt, lap times immediately started to rise, suggesting strong degradation that could worsen even further if temperatures rise for Sunday, anticipating a two-stop race.
| Verstappen | Norris | Russell | Hamilton | Leclerc | Antonelli | Verstappen |
| Medium (+5 laps) | Medium (+4 laps) | Medium (+8 laps) | Medium (+9 laps) | Soft (+6 laps) | Soft (+4 laps) | Soft (+3 laps) |
| 1’24’’7 | 1’24’’3 | 1’24’’3 | 1’24’’4 | 1’23’’7 | 1’23’’7 | 1’23’’5 |
| 1’24’’1 | 1’24’’0 | 1’24’’4 | High | 1’23’’8 | 1’23’’7 | 1’24’’1 |
| 1’24’’1 | 1’24’’4 | 1’24’’0 | 1’24’’6* | High | 1’23’’9 | 1’25’’4* |
| 1’23’’9 | 1’23’’9 | 1’24’’0 | 1’24’’9* | 1’24’’2 | 1’24’’0 | 1’24’’1 |
| 1’25’’4 | 1’24’’8 | 1’24’’1 | 1’25’’2* | 1’26’’2* | 1’24’’1 | |
| High | 1’25’’1 | 1’24’’2 | 1’24’’0* | High | ||
| 1’26’’2 | 1’25’’4 | 1’25’’1 | 1’26’’5* | 1’24’’2 | ||
| 1’25’’4 | 1’25’’3 | High | 1’25’’9* | |||
| 1’25’’3 | 1’25’’4 | 1’24’’3 | ||||
| 1’26’’2 | 1’25’’8 | |||||
| High | ||||||
| 1’26’’5 | ||||||
| *: Traffic |
Unfortunately, traffic significantly affected the simulations, making it difficult to compare times. George Russell was the fastest of the drivers who ran on medium tires, although a comparison with Hamilton is missing, as he only completed one clear lap. Leclerc and Antonelli, on the other hand, tackled the soft tires, with which the Italian gave the impression of having a 1-2 tenth advantage over Ferrari, warning everyone that he has the potential to fight at the front again.
Waiting for Aston Martin
The other big topic of the day was the debut of the new Aston Martin. The AMR26 took to the track with many aerodynamic novelties, a new chassis, a modified suspension, and a general weight reduction. The team has revolutionized several concepts from the beginning of the year, but at the same time has pushed others to the extreme, demonstrating confidence in the choices made during the design phase. For now, the standings are not shining, and the team will need time to understand how to adapt the setups to extract the maximum from the novelties, which alone will not be enough to climb back up. Ferrari and Mercedes remain distant, engaged in a top battle that in Hungary might be less predictable than it appears.
Read more Russell attacks the Budapest circuit: “The track is falling apart, they did a terrible job”
