Hamilton Leads Ferrari 1-2 in FP2 as Colapinto Crashes at the Hungaroring
Lewis Hamilton led Ferrari to a dominant one-two in Hungarian Grand Prix second practice, recording a benchmark of 1:18.729 ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc by 0.148 seconds. Lando Norris was third for McLaren, half a second off the pace. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli had a troubled afternoon: having missed FP1 to allow Fred Vesti's mandatory rookie run, the Italian struggled with persistent rear brake locking in FP2 to end 13th, nearly two seconds adrift. Franco Colapinto added drama when he crashed at Turn 14 in the closing stages, bringing out a red flag to cut his session short.
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Leclerc Fastest in FP1 as Aston Martin’s B-Spec Debut Ends in Mechanical Failure
Charles Leclerc set the pace in Hungarian Grand Prix opening practice, recording a 1:19.075 to lead Max Verstappen. However, the session was overshadowed by Aston Martin's troubled debut of its major 16-part upgrade: Lance Stroll suffered a suspension failure that ended his session prematurely. Leclerc himself also came to a halt late in FP1, reporting "something broke" on his Ferrari. Separately, Williams' Carlos Sainz was issued a formal warning by the stewards after impeding Verstappen on a flying lap approaching Turn 12 — Sainz had been unable to hear radio warnings because his radio cable had become disconnected.
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Aston Martin’s 16-Part B-Spec Overhaul: Promising Data, Troubled Start
Aston Martin unveiled its most ambitious upgrade package in years at the Hungarian Grand Prix: a comprehensive 16-part overhaul developed under new technical director Adrian Newey. The reworked car was supposed to transform the struggling outfit's competitiveness, but the Budapest debut was immediately disrupted when Lance Stroll suffered a suspension failure in FP1. Despite the setback, Newey said the early running was encouraging and the team would analyse data overnight. Fernando Alonso ended FP1 13th in the new specification. Both drivers will have more running in FP3 on Saturday before qualifying.
Mercedes’ 10-Race Pole Streak Under Threat After Difficult Hungary Friday
Mercedes heads into qualifying at the Hungaroring with a question mark over its unprecedented 2026 pole position streak after a troubled Friday practice. George Russell was best of the Silver Arrows in fifth, nearly a second behind pace-setter Lewis Hamilton, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli struggled to 13th, nearly two seconds off the pace, plagued by rear brake locking. Mercedes has claimed pole at all ten rounds of 2026 so far. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord acknowledged there was "lots of work to do overnight, bit of head-scratching," though the team's long-run pace looked more competitive versus Ferrari and McLaren.
Ferrari Brings Upgraded Macarena Wing to Hungary After Hamilton Spotted the Gap
Ferrari arrived in Budapest with an upgraded version of its distinctive Macarena rear wing — a triple-element winglet arrangement inspired by the McLaren design first seen at Monaco. The push came after Lewis Hamilton noticed Ferrari had missed a similar design trick earlier this year. The upgrade appeared to pay immediate dividends, with Ferrari fastest in both Friday practice sessions. McLaren is also running a Macarena-style wing this weekend, though Oscar Piastri did not receive the new parts on Friday. The Australian is set to carry the upgrade from Saturday's FP3 session ahead of qualifying.
Belgian GP Stewards Admit They Should Have Penalised Leclerc for Piastri Clash
Formula 1's stewards at the Belgian Grand Prix have admitted they made a mistake by not penalising Charles Leclerc for his collision with Oscar Piastri at Spa-Francorchamps. The pair clashed at Les Combes on lap eight while disputing third place, with Leclerc squeezing Piastri to the track edge; the resulting contact left the McLaren with floor damage estimated to cost two to three tenths per lap. Sky Sports' David Croft reported the admission came during a pre-weekend meeting in Budapest, with former driver Anthony Davidson stating it was "100 percent a penalty." Leclerc himself acknowledged his defending had been "a bit too sketchy."
Newey Sidesteps Horner-to-Aston Martin Speculation: ‘I Can’t Comment Further’
Adrian Newey has played down speculation linking former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with a position at Aston Martin. Horner, 52, was relieved of his duties last July and has repeatedly been linked with the Silverstone-based outfit — a move that would reunite him with Newey after 20 years working together at Red Bull. In Budapest this weekend, Newey said: "I keep hearing about these rumours with Christian. I can't comment further. All I can say is that we are very happy with our senior management team." Horner has also been linked with a potential new team backed by Chinese manufacturer BYD.
Malaysia in Talks for F1 Return as Bahrain Grand Prix Plan Falters
Formula 1 is in discussions with Malaysia about a surprise return to the 2026 calendar, with the Sepang International Circuit being considered for an October 4 slot. The move comes as the planned Bahrain Grand Prix has been thrown into doubt due to ongoing Middle East conflict, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi also potentially at risk. Malaysia last hosted the championship in 2017, and a return would mark a significant step for Asian motorsport. Discussions are described as exploratory, with any rescheduling requiring significant calendar adjustments during the second half of the season.
Drivers' Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 204 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton — 159 pts
3. George Russell — 154 pts
4. Charles Leclerc — 126 pts
5. Lando Norris — 103 pts
6. Oscar Piastri — 92 pts
7. Max Verstappen — 91 pts
8. Isack Hadjar — 60 pts
9. Pierre Gasly — 42 pts
10. Liam Lawson — 39 pts
11. Arvid Lindblad — 22 pts
12. Franco Colapinto — 19 pts
13. Oliver Bearman — 18 pts
14. Gabriel Bortoleto — 10 pts
15. Carlos Sainz — 6 pts
16. Alex Albon — 5 pts
17. Esteban Ocon — 3 pts
18. Fernando Alonso — 1 pts
19. Nico Hülkenberg — 0 pts
20. Valtteri Bottas — 0 pts
21. Sergio Pérez — 0 pts
22. Lance Stroll — 0 pts
Constructors' Championship
1. Mercedes — 358 pts
2. Ferrari — 285 pts
3. McLaren — 195 pts
4. Red Bull Racing — 151 pts
5. Alpine — 61 pts
6. Racing Bulls — 61 pts
7. Haas — 21 pts
8. Williams — 11 pts
9. Audi — 10 pts
10. Aston Martin — 1 pts
11. Cadillac — 0 pts
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