Lewis Hamilton set the pace in Free Practice 2 for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, leading Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc as Franco Colapinto’s crash interrupted the qualifying simulations at the Hungaroring.

Hamilton’s best lap of 1:18.729s put him 0.148s clear of Leclerc, with Lando Norris third for McLaren, 0.499s away from the benchmark.

The 60-minute session began in breezy and relatively cool conditions, with several drivers making their first appearance of the weekend after sitting out FP1. Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Colapinto, Oliver Bearman and Valtteri Bottas were among those returning to their cars.

Lance Stroll did not participate after Aston Martin was unable to complete repairs following the suspension problem that curtailed his opening practice session. Fernando Alonso therefore handled the team’s programme alone as Aston Martin continued to assess its extensively revised package.

Ferrari immediately showed competitive pace on the medium tyres. Leclerc established the early reference before Hamilton moved ahead with a 1:19.648s and later improved to 1:19.585s.

Grip and balance proved difficult across the 4.381-kilometre circuit, where gusting winds and sections of new asphalt contributed to unpredictable handling. George Russell described his Mercedes as badly out of balance, while Antonelli reported rear locking under braking.

Pierre Gasly also struggled with the behaviour of his Alpine, telling the team that the front of the car felt abnormal through Turn 12. Leclerc, meanwhile, suffered several lock-ups during the opening phase before returning to the pits for adjustments.

Teams began switching to soft tyres around the halfway point. Norris was the first leading contender to complete a representative qualifying simulation, setting a 1:19.228s to take provisional first place.

The session was then stopped after Colapinto lost the rear of his Alpine on entry to the final corner. The car spun backwards into the barriers, bringing out the red flags and ending the Argentine driver’s running after 11 laps.

When the track reopened, Leclerc reclaimed the top position with a 1:18.877s lap. Hamilton initially crossed the line just 0.037s slower, before responding on his next effort to secure the fastest time of the session.

With the final part of practice devoted mainly to longer runs, Hamilton remained at the head of the order ahead of Leclerc and Norris.

Max Verstappen finished fourth for Red Bull, 0.692s off the pace, followed by Russell and Isack Hadjar. Liam Lawson was seventh for Racing Bulls, with Piastri eighth in the second McLaren.

Nico Hülkenberg placed ninth for Audi and Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10. Gabriel Bortoleto was 11th, ahead of Esteban Ocon, Antonelli, Gasly and Bearman. Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz occupied 16th and 17th for Williams, followed by Bottas, Alonso and Sergio Pérez. Colapinto was classified 21st following his accident.

2026 FIA Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:18.729 25 200.327
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:18.877 0.148 29 199.951
3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:19.228 0.499 30 199.06
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:19.421 0.692 26 198.582
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:19.662 0.933 29 197.981
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:19.800 1.071 19 197.639
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:20.041 1.312 29 197.044
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:20.101 1.372 28 196.896
9 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:20.125 1.396 30 196.837
10 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:20.253 1.524 29 196.523
11 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:20.474 1.745 27 195.983
12 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:20.557 1.828 26 195.781
13 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:20.693 1.964 30 195.451
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:20.816 2.087 24 195.154
15 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:20.950 2.221 27 194.831
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:20.973 2.244 33 194.776
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:21.426 2.697 31 193.692
18 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:21.442 2.713 30 193.654
19 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:21.719 2.990 24 192.997
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:21.792 3.063 27 192.825
21 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:22.531 3.802 11 191.099