McLaren leads Friday practice in Hungary

The McLaren team made it clear once again that its aerodynamic development and pace in slow corners make it very strong on circuits like the Hungaroring. On the first day of activities for the 2025 Formula 1 (F1) Hungarian Grand Prix , Lando Norris was the fastest in both the first and second free practice sessions, always escorted by his teammate Oscar Piastri, thus signing a resounding 1-2 that makes them favorites for pole.

The most curious thing about the day is that the first three places were repeated exactly in both sessions: Norris led, Piastri was second and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took third, demonstrating a clear pattern of performance.

In the second practice session, Norris set a time of 1:15.624 on soft tires, while Piastri was 0.291 seconds behind. Although both drivers made minor mistakes—Lando Norris went wide at the final corner and Oscar Piastri encountered traffic—their performance was impeccable.

Fernando Alonso, partially recovered from a back injury, surprised everyone by placing fifth, just behind Lance Stroll, while the biggest surprise was that the world champion, Max Verstappen had a day to forget. The Dutchman reported balance issues both front and rear of his Red Bull and finished 14th, in addition to being cited by the stewards after throwing what appeared to be a towel from his car.

The third practice session will be held this Saturday at 5:30 a.m. Central Mexico time, before qualifying at 8:00 a.m., to determine the starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the last before the summer break in the top flight of motorsport . If McLaren maintains this pace, Norris could score his second pole of the year.

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Read: What time is it and where to watch the 2025 Hungarian F1 GP LIVE?

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