First Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Hungarian F1 GP

Event: Hungarian F1 Grand Prix
Track: Hungaroring circuit

Weather: dry  25-26°C
Tarmac: dry  41-38°C
Humidity : 39-41%
Wind : 2.1-6.1 km/h North

Lando Strikes First in Hungary: McLaren Leads the Way in FP1

McLaren Sets the Pace in Scorching Budapest Opener

The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend kicked off under sizzling skies at the twisty Hungaroring, and once again, the papaya army from Woking came out swinging. Lando Norris topped the timesheets in FP1, narrowly edging out his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, in a session that left no doubt about who’s wearing the orange pants this weekend.

While Norris put in a blinding lap of 1m16.052s, just 0.019s quicker than Piastri, it was clear that McLaren had nailed their baseline setup from the get-go. Charles Leclerc completed the top three, looking unexpectedly confident on a circuit he’s historically struggled at.

Alonso Sidelined, Drugovich Steps In

Before a single wheel turned, Aston Martin made headlines by confirming that Fernando Alonso would sit out FP1 due to a muscular back injury sustained post-Belgium. Stepping in was Felipe Drugovich, who quietly put in a respectable shift behind the wheel. No word yet on whether Alonso will be back for FP2, but Drugovich might just get another shot if the two-time champ needs more recovery time.

Ferrari’s Leclerc Finds Confidence Where None Was Expected

Historically, Charles Leclerc has called Budapest his "bogey track", with no podiums or front-row starts to his name here. But today, the Monegasque driver flipped the script. He ended up just 0.2s behind the flying McLarens, beating teammate Carlos Sainz convincingly and showing Ferrari might have more to offer this weekend than expected. Maybe, just maybe, Leclerc’s Hungarian curse is coming to an end?

Hadjar Shocks With P4 – Hamilton Trails

A surprise name in the top five? Isack Hadjar, yes, you read that right. The young Frenchman grabbed fourth place ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who had a scrappy session full of lock-ups and radio complaints. At one point, Hamilton asked his engineer why Norris was a full second quicker—only to be told he was losing time in Turns 5, 8, and 9. Ouch.

Bearman, Antonelli Impress in Midfield Shuffle

Behind the front runners, the next-gen names continued to shine. Oliver Bearman slotted into sixth, with Kimi Antonelli just behind him in seventh—making Antonelli the fastest of the Mercedes duo. George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Lance Stroll rounded out the top 10.

Speaking of Verstappen: the reigning world champion didn’t look too thrilled with his car’s balance. He only managed P9, nearly nine-tenths off Norris, while teammate Yuki Tsunoda languished in P17. Not exactly a commanding start for the Bulls.

Trouble in Kick Sauberland

It was a bruising hour for Kick Sauber. Rookie Paul Aron, driving Nico Hulkenberg’s car for FP1, was forced to stop on track early with a technical issue. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto’s car was later seen on stands, also facing problems. With Aron finishing bottom of the timing sheets and Bortoleto in P19, the Swiss squad will be desperate for a clean FP2.

Soft Tyres, Flat Spots & Traffic Woes

As the session developed, most teams switched from mediums and hards to the C5 softs for performance runs. That’s when the real drama unfolded. Norris, Piastri, and Hamilton all locked up into Turn 1—flat-spotting their tyres. Turn 1, already expected to be a major overtaking zone on Sunday, is clearly a hot topic for setup tweaks tonight.

Despite that, both McLaren drivers managed to post their quickest times on the softs, with Norris going purple in both the first and second sectors. Even though he ran slightly wide in the final corners, he still emerged on top.

Verstappen Stays, Vasseur Stays, but Questions Linger

Off track, there were two big news items: Fred Vasseur signed a multi-year extension with Ferrari, signaling stability at the Prancing Horse. And Max Verstappen confirmed he's staying at Red Bull for 2026, putting to bed—at least for now—rumours of a future switch.

But while the ink is dry, the stopwatch tells another story. Red Bull, despite their recent upgrades to front wings and brake ducts, didn’t look like a team about to dominate this weekend.

The Hungaroring Awaits More Answers in FP2

As the chequered flag waved, McLaren could breathe easy—first blood goes to them. But it’s only FP1, and as we know in Formula 1, early pace is no guarantee of success.

Will Piastri strike back in FP2? Can Ferrari stay in the mix? And will Red Bull unlock something overnight?

FP1 Times Table 2025 Hungarian GP

1:18,713 min was the fastest lap time of last year's (dry) FP1 in Hungary. It was clocked by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari SF-24.

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