Norris tops timesheets in FP2 Hungarian GP practice

As the Hungarian summer heat began to subside, track temperatures fell below 50°C for FP2, offering slightly more favorable conditions compared to the scorching 60°C experienced during the first practice session.

This drop in temperature allowed teams to gather crucial data on tyre behavior, which could prove pivotal for race strategy on Sunday.

Session Disrupted by Leclerc Crash

The session's early stages saw Sergio Perez set the initial benchmark with a 1:18.568s on medium tyres.

However, the smooth running was short-lived as Charles Leclerc's Ferrari found the barriers, bringing out the red flag.

The Monegasque driver took too much kerb on the exit of Turn 4, resulting in a heavy spin into the opposite wall. The incident caused a 15-minute delay as marshals worked to repair the damaged Armco barrier.

Once the session resumed, drivers began their soft tyre runs, leading to a significant shuffle in the timing sheets.

George Russell briefly held the top spot with a 1:18.294s, before Norris laid down his impressive 1:17.788s lap, setting a considerable benchmark for others to chase.

Red Bull and Ferrari Show Pace

Despite Norris's table-topping time, Red Bull demonstrated their underlying speed.

Verstappen managed to slot into second place with a 1:18.031s, while teammate Perez secured fourth.

Sandwiched between the Red Bulls was Carlos Sainz, continuing Ferrari's promising form with a 1:18.185s, suggesting the Scuderia's recent upgrades are paying dividends.

Mercedes and Haas Impress

Mercedes showed flashes of speed but ultimately fell short of challenging the top three.

Russell's initial leading soft-tyre lap was good enough for fifth, while Lewis Hamilton finished seventh.

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen impressed with the sixth-fastest time, just 0.021s shy of Russell's effort, marking a significant improvement for the American team.

Performances

Daniel Ricciardo, in his second race weekend since returning to AlphaTauri, showed promising form by setting the eighth-fastest time.

Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso completed the top 10, ahead of the upgraded Sauber of Valtteri Bottas and Williams' Logan :.

Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren struggled to set a representative time, managing only 13th after spending much of the final half of the session in the garage.

Zhou Guanyu nearly replicated Leclerc's crash but narrowly avoided the wall - and Perez, who was on a cool-down lap ahead of him.