Antonelli chases Ocon in Hungary
Antonelli chases Ocon in Hungary
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F1 Hungary LIVE: Qualifying updates as tense pole fight looms

Live coverage of Friday at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix

KEY MOMENTS

  • Aston Martin suffers reliability woe after major upgrade
  • Ferrari fastest in both Friday sessions
  • Mercedes searching for pace after tough Friday

The tenth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

A modern classic, the Hungaroring is often described as Monaco without the walls, due to its tight and twisty nature.

As the championship reaches the summer shutdown, all eyes are on Aston Martin, with the team bringing a significant 16-part upgrade. While the pace on Friday was a marked improvement, a suspension failure in FP1 for Lance Stroll ruled him out of the afternoon running.  

McLaren debuted its 'Macarena wing' with rookie Leonardo Fornaroli in FP1, but the part will not feature fully until after the summer break.

Max Verstappen showed strong pace for Red Bull, but Mercedes struggled throughout the day, with George Russell over seven-tenths off the pace and Kimi Antonelli in 13th place. The Silver Arrows will hope to have performed wonders overnight to turn around its fortunes for a vital qualifying session.

2026 Hungarian Grand Prix Saturday schedule

FP3: 11:30am BST - 12:30pm BST

Qualifying: 3:00pm BST - 4:00pm BST

25 Jul 2026
11:25

The music has played, and it's time to get cracking! 

11:25

Five minutes remain before FP3 gets underway. On a track where qualifying is crucial, this session will be all about the red-walled soft tyres, especially in the closing stages.

11:19

Aston Martin had hinted yesterday that Stroll may not be able to drive in FP3 or qualifying, with spares a major concern. There's no word on this yet, but given both drivers feature in a social post 'clocking in for qualifying', that sounds positive. 

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11:13
Adrian Newey addresses Christian Horner to Aston Martin F1 links

There has been one name consistently linked with a return to the F1 paddock in recent months, and he has been linked with many different teams. That name is Christian Horner, and Adrian Newey faced questions on a potential reunion at Aston Martin. 

Full story here...

Newey was asked about Horner's potential F1 return
Newey was asked about Horner's potential F1 return
11:00
F1 facing Monaco-style track surface issues in Hungary

F1 facing Monaco-style track surface issues in Hungary

Formula 1 is hoping to avoid a repeat of the track surface issues that led to a red flag in Monaco at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Drivers complained about parts of the Hungaroring track breaking up during Friday practice as they battled difficult conditions throughout both sessions. 

Full story here...

Parts of the Hungaroring track surface broke up on Friday
Parts of the Hungaroring track surface broke up on Friday
10:58

As the clock reaches the hour, we're just half an hour away from final practice.

10:49

We mentioned Stroll. Here is the moment it all went wrong for the Canadian. What hasn't been given enough credit is how Stroll managed to keep the car out of the wall - a crucial save given the lack of spares at Aston Martin with the new upgrade. 

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10:46

While it was a strong day for Ferrari, it was a far more difficult experience for Antonelli. After sitting out FP1 to allow rookie Fred Vesti some track time, the championship leader was unable to set a time on soft tyres, struggling with locking and oversteer. 

You can see some of his wilder moments here. 

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10:39

Just in case you missed the Friday action, Leclerc was fastest in the opening session before Hamilton led a Ferrari 1-2 in FP2. 

The other major interest was Aston Martin. With a 16-part upgrade, the pace was certainly improved across a single lap, but a suspension failure for Stroll in FP1 put him out of action for the rest of the day. 

The full roundup of Saturday's action can be found here...

Hamilton is the most successful F1 driver in Hungary
Hamilton is the most successful F1 driver in Hungary
10:32
Good morning!

Good morning, and welcome to the Hungaroring for final practice. Ferrari looked in ominous form on Friday, but we've seen Mercedes bounce back when the serious stuff begins far too many times to rule them out of contention just yet. 

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