Oscar Piastri led another McLaren one-two in the final practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, setting a 1m14.916s to edge out teammate Lando Norris by just over a tenth.
The championship leader’s late soft-tyre run crushed the field, leaving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc 0.4s adrift in third, a position he held across all practice sessions this weekend.
The session started slowly, with Franco Colapinto’s 1m18.006s after nearly 10 minutes breaking the silence. Yuki Tsunoda’s 1m17.022s on mediums sparked more action, prompting teams to execute their FP3 plans.
Max Verstappen briefly showed pace with a 1m16.547s on softs, but Leclerc overtook him with a 1m16.406s, only to be eclipsed by George Russell’s 1m16.312s.
Piastri then stole the lead with a 1m16.240s, before Verstappen and Leclerc traded faster times, the latter hitting 1m16.147s despite a minor error at Turn 12.
Piastri’s Decisive Surge
With 15 minutes left, the McLaren charger fitted fresh softs and unleashed his session-topping 1m14.916s, improving his earlier effort by over 0.9s.
Norris followed closely, narrowing the gap with a strong final sector but falling 0.199s short.
Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton secured third and fourth for Ferrari, while Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli impressed in fifth, outpacing teammate George Russell, who struggled with sector two and three, finishing eighth.
Midfield Surprises and Red Bull’s Woes
Aston Martin showed promising form, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll claiming sixth and seventh. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10, continuing their strong weekend, while Haas’ Oliver Bearman took 11th.
Red Bull, however, floundered again. Verstappen, visibly frustrated, could only manage 12th, 1.24s off Piastri’s pace, complaining of balance issues. Teammate Yuki Tsunoda languished in 19th, with radio exchanges revealing his irritation, reportedly urging his engineer to “wake up.”
McLaren’s commanding performance sets the stage for a fierce qualifying battle, with Piastri and Norris poised to challenge for pole.
Ferrari remains their closest rival, but Red Bull’s ongoing struggles and the midfield’s tight competition –led by Aston Martin and Sauber – promise an unpredictable grid.
As the Hungaroring braces for qualifying at 3:00 PM local time, all eyes are on whether McLaren can maintain their blistering pace or if a dark horse will emerge.
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