Ahead of this afternoon’s qualifying session, the final free practice session (FP3) at the F1 Hungarian GP was used by the teams to fine tune their cars. The session kicked off under clear skies and with dry conditions. Air temperatures were around 27°C, while track temperatures peaked to 49°C, which was significantly warmer than previous FP2 session, placing attention on tyre management and cooling strategies.
Early Runners Set the Benchmark
The session saw the drivers start on mediums or used softs before switching to fresh C5 compounds for push laps. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was one of the first drivers on track to set a benchmark on soft tyres. He temporarily held the top spot with a time of 1:18.006.
As the circuit rubbered in, grip improved significantly. In an effort to take advantage of the changing conditions some switched to their second sets of fresh softs. Drivers like Piastri, Leclerc, and Hamilton knew this was their chance to test qualifying conditions in earnest.
Highlights of the Session
Halfway through the session, Visa Cash App RB, Isack Hadjar spun at Turn 13, resulting in double yellow flags. He flat-spotted his second pair of softs and fell down the order, which was a setback going into qualifying.
What followed was a flurry of green and purple sectors as lap times nosedived. Piastri topped the timesheets with a confident 1:14.916. His time was just 0.032s ahead of teammate Lando Norris. Therefore completing a perfect sweep of the three free practice sessions and earning another McLaren one-two.
Charles Leclerc finished third fastest, 0.399 seconds behind the leader, and Lewis Hamilton finished a strong fourth. Kimi Antonelli impressed in fifth for Mercedes.
The Backfield
Further down the order, there was encouragement for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. Both Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto broke into the top ten, a rare high for the team amid an otherwise tough season.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s challenges persisted. Max Verstappen ran fastest in the middle of the session. He later fell back down the order after reporting persistent balance issues over team radio. Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull featured aero paint during early laps, a visual confirmation that the team is still chasing an ideal setup. Both drivers ended the session outside the top ten with Verstappen at P12 and Tsunoda well adrift in P19.
Sector control was key as track temperatures increased tyre wear. Teams saw a tendency in all three free practice sessions: Sector 1 in particular continued to be less representative, requiring drivers to manage rather than push.
The top of the timesheet indicated that McLaren and Ferrari were set for a close battle as the practice wrapped up ahead of preparations for qualifying, with Mercedes lingering and Red Bull still trying to find speed. Later this afternoon, a well-timed lap may make all the difference because of the close margins between the midfield and the impending threat of traffic on track.