FP2 Highlights | 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix

Second practice in Budapest and once again McLaren show they're a class apart when it comes to quick laps. Papaya Power ruled as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took the top two spots, despite the Australian encountering what seemed like every other car in Formula 1 on his soft shod lap and the Briton surviving a pretty scary moment at turn 14. Oh nice! Lando's already been flirting with that one and that is more than a flirt. I can tell you that barrier out there is not a nice one to hit. Lando Norris was on pole here 12 months ago and his best lap today was timed at a 1 minute 15.624, almost three tenths better than his colleague. They're fierce competitors those Woking boys getting up close and personal into turn one late in the day. I wonder what the communication was there for Lando coming out of the pits. Oscar will have a much clearer view because he's the one accelerating at a higher speed so he'll see Lando there but he won't be expecting Lando to be keeping his foot in and smoking it in on the brakes. The Hungaroring has been a happy hunting ground for McLaren over the years. 12 times they've topped the podium. Some of the sport's greatest drivers Etin Sena, Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to name a few have all lifted the winner's trophy for the famous mark. 12 months ago it was Piastri with the honours and he leads the driver's standings after 13 of the season's 24 races completed. A win on Sunday would extend that lead and give him some extra breathing room as we head into the summer break. Charles Leclerc was again the third fastest man on track just a tenth back from Piastri. There was a welcome return to the action for Fernando Alonso having sat out FP1 nursing an injury picked up last weekend in Belgium. The two-time world champion was keen to get some laps under his belt in second practice. Aston Martin had a good session Lance Joel P4 for his efforts. Alonso one place back. Another driver getting his first taste of the Budapest circuit was Nico Hülkenberg having given up his seat for Paul Lara in the earlier session. He needed a few laps to get his eye in dropping a couple of wheels into the gravel exiting turn 12 and finishing 12th at the flag. Lewis Hamilton holds many of the records relating to this circuit most wins, most poles, most podiums as well as the fastest race and track lap times both set in 2020 when he and Mercedes still reigned supreme. He repeated a move he'd made in FP1 cutting the on his way to a P6 finish this time out. A two-time winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix Max Verstappen yesterday confirmed he'll be staying with Red Bull Racing for the 2026 season finally putting to bed all the recent speculation. This time out he seemed to be struggling to find the right window. Max, main balance limitation please. It's for the rear, mate. I just like driving on ice. Copy that, thank you. The dulcet tones of his returning engineer GP who probably helped alleviate the defending champion's concerns a little. However, later on Max was noted for throwing something out from his cockpit during the session. The investigation left for later. P14 for the man who bagged his maiden pole position here back in 2019. Carlos Sainz, still running those new parts on the Williams, found the gravel at turn 5 and later had a slightly confusing exchange with his team on the radio. I cannot hear you. Box, box, box, box. We've lost telemetry on all coms. Stay out, stay out, stay out. We've got telemetry back. Stay out, please. Oh my god, man. Look at this. He lost radio. He lost radio and telemetry. So the timing tables tinged orange once again. Norris, Bestrom, Piastri followed by Leclerc, Stroll, Alonso, Hamilton, Russell, Hadjar, Sonoda and Antonelli. P11 for Behrmann and he was ahead of Hülkenberg, Ocon, Verstappen, Dawson, Sainz, Bortoletto, Alvin, Gasly and Colopinto.