Norris Dominates Practice Sessions at Hungarian Grand Prix

Lando Norris showcased his speed during the second practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing with a remarkable time of 1:15.624. This performance put him ahead of his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, by nearly three-tenths of a second. As the final race before the Formula 1 summer break approaches, Norris has gained an early advantage over Piastri, who recently extended his lead in the drivers’ standings to 16 points after a strong performance in Belgium.

The second practice session revealed that both drivers were pushing their limits. Piastri and Norris demonstrated impressive reflexes, narrowly avoiding collisions with barriers. A tense moment arose towards the end of the session when the two nearly clashed at Turn 1, as Norris exited the pits to practice starts under the waved chequered flag.

While Norris and Piastri dominated the session, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finished third, a tenth behind Piastri. Lewis Hamilton, driving for Mercedes, encountered difficulties, concluding the session in sixth place, four tenths slower than his teammate. The Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso performed admirably, finishing ahead of Hamilton.

In contrast, Mercedes struggled to find the right balance, with George Russell finishing seventh and his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, in tenth. The team’s attempt to revert to a previous suspension setup did not yield the desired results.

The most notable surprise of the session was the performance of reigning champion Max Verstappen, who finished in fourteenth place, more than a second off the pace. Verstappen expressed dissatisfaction with his car’s balance and faced scrutiny after an unusual incident where he discarded a rag onto the track at Turn 3, which remained on the circuit until the end of the session.

As excitement builds for the upcoming race, the teams will have one final opportunity to fine-tune their setups during the final practice session on August 2, 2025. This session will precede the crucial qualifying round, which is set to begin at 15:00 local time.

The Hungarian Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling event, with live coverage available on various platforms, including Sky Sports F1, where viewers can catch every moment of the action leading up to the race.