Carlos Sainz topped first practice from Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as Ferrari boosted their hopes of a return to contention at the front of the grid.
Sainz’s team-mate Charles Leclerc was third as Ferrari appeared to reap the rewards of a reworking of the SF-24’s floor, with the characteristics of the Hungaroring also perhaps suiting the Italian squad’s car.
Red Bull were also debuting major upgrades to the RB20, which showed promise as world championship leader Verstappen was able to maintain a strong pace later into his running on soft tyres that appeared to be degrading at a faster rate for his rivals.
George Russell was fourth for Mercedes, who are seeking a third successive victory after surprising back-to-back triumphs in Austria and Britain, but team-mate Lewis Hamilton was only 10th following his Silverstone win.
Verstappen’s nearest title challenger Lando Norris was sixth, a place ahead of his team-mate Oscar Piastri but the McLaren pair surprisingly trailed Zhou Guanyu, who impressed in a heavily upgraded Sauber to take fifth.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who goes into the weekend facing speculation over his future following a poor run of form, was only 11th but did not have all of the new parts running on Verstappen’s car.
Oliver Bearman was last for Haas as the British teenager continued his preparations for his debut F1 campaign with team next year.
Ferrari to enter four-way fight?
Ferrari began the season as the nearest challengers to Red Bull, and victory for Leclerc at his home race in Monaco at the end of May brought him to within just 31 points of Verstappen.
However, power unit problems hampered Ferrari in Canada before an upgrade introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix ultimately took them backwards, with bouncing a notable problem.
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Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson takes a look at the iconic Hungaroring track ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix
Leclerc said on Thursday in Hungary that he was confident experimentation in Austria and Britain had enabled Ferrari to work out the problem, and that he expected a significant improvement this weekend.
It was his team-mate Sainz, still yet to decide who he will drive for in 2025 with Hamilton replacing him at Ferrari, who was able to get the most out of the SF-24.
Just moments after Leclerc had gone fastest, Sainz went almost three tenths of a second clear with a 1:18.713, which would remain comfortably the fastest time of the session.
While the result was hugely encouraging for Ferrari, practice timesheets must be viewed cautiously given the different fuel loads and power levels teams are running.
There is also the fact that Hungary is a track better suited to the Ferrari, so even a strong weekend here wouldn’t ensure the same level of competitiveness would remain next weekend at the final race before the sport’s summer break in Belgium.
Verstappen shows promise in upgraded Red Bull
Despite holding an 84-point lead over Norris at the top of the drivers’ standings, Verstappen admitted on Thursday that Red Bull’s latest upgrade would be crucial in enabling him to maintain his grip on the world championship.
The significant haul of new parts included an updated front wing, front and rear corners, while there was also a new engine cover and halo designed to help cooling in the sweltering Budapest conditions.
While Verstappen was unable to match Sainz’s leading time, the fact he was able to go faster than Leclerc while doing a second stint on his soft tyres, suggested the Red Bull may have the early edge in terms of tyre degradation, which will be the key factor in deciding Sunday’s result.
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Ted Kravitz analyses the upgrades Red Bull have brought to the Hungarian Grand Prix
For Mercedes, who added just a new rear corner to the W15 having made astonishing progress with a series of upgrades over recent weeks, Russell was four tenths back from Sainz.
Hamilton was little more than a tenth slower than his team-mate, but that was worth six positions on a tight midfield timesheet.
Norris, who is looking to make a mends after failing to capitalise on the chance to win his home race, was half a second back from Sainz.
With there having already been six winners from four different teams across the opening 12 races, Friday’s first viewing suggests the welcome unpredictability is set to continue.
Sky Sports F1’s live Hungarian GP schedule
Friday July 19
2pm: F3 Qualifying
3pm: F2 Qualifying
3.45pm: Hungarian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5:15pm: The F1 Show
Saturday July 20
8:45am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Hungarian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Hungarian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Hungarian GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday July 21
7:20am: F3 Feature Race
9am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Hungarian GP build-up
2pm: The HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Hungarian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
Next up for F1 is the Hungarian Grand Prix from Budapest on July 19-21. You can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime