20/07/2024
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole practice session the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 40 degrees.
Lando Norris set the pace yesterday afternoon, while Charles Leclerc crashed out early in the session.
Of particular note however was the pace of the Red Bull, particularly in Max Verstappen's hands, in the wake of the raft of updates that have been introduced here.
Aston Martin and Stake have also brought a significant amount of upgrades but will less convincing results.
Oscar Piastri had technical issues in both sessions, while Lewis Hamilton was less at ease in the Mercedes than his teammate. Indeed, in its quest to cure the various issues which have traditionally affected its cars in warmer conditions, Mercedes broke the curfew for the first time this year.
The lights go green and shortly after Zhou heads out to get things underway. He is subsequently followed by Perez, Bottas, Stroll and Alonso.
As Verstappen heads out, both Red Bulls are on the hard rubber while the rest are on mediums.
Perez sets a benchmark 19.159 and as his teammate posts an 18.897 the majority of drivers pit and switch from the mediums to the hards. That said, the Stake pair stick with the yellow-banded rubber as do the McLaren duo.
Almost ten minutes into the session only the Red Bull pair are on track, indeed these are the only times on the board. In total only 8 drivers have even been out.
Verstappen improves to 18.312, complaining that he's understeering in the middle sector "a bit much". "I also don't have masses of rear grip," he adds.
Fifteen minutes in and as Verstappen has the track to himself he is joined by a soft-shod Ocon and subsequently Bottas, Stroll and Alonso.
Having improved to 17.938 - quicker than he went yesterday afternoon - Verstappen pits, as Ocon stops the clock at 18.774, 0.836s off the pace... on softs!
Bottas goes second (18.206), ahead of Stroll (18.447) as a whole load more drivers head out, all on the red-banded rubber.
Alonso (medium) goes second with a 17.994 but is demoted when Albon (softs) bangs in a 17.646.
Quickest in all three sectors, Norris goes top with a 16.931 as teammate Piastri goes second (17.428).
Russell goes third with a 17.560, as Hulkenberg goes fifth, though both are demoted when Hamilton stops the clock at 17.519. However, the seven-time champ was clearly struggling.
Tsunoda splits the McLarens with a 17.405 as Sainz goes eighth and Magnussen ninth.
As Leclerc can only manage 18.335 - which puts him eighteenth - Ricciardo goes second with a 17.372.
Gasly goes off at Turn 1 but is able to continue. "I don't know what happened," he says, "there's something wrong with the front brakes."
Both Ferrari drivers are struggling in Turn 4, the corner where Leclerc crashed yesterday and had another wobble earlier.
Nonetheless, Sainz goes second (17.289) and his teammate third. However, a 16.826 from Russell sees both demoted.
Heading out on hards again, Verstappen is currently 13th while teammate Perez is 20th.
Piastri improves from seventh to third with a 17.136, having been quickest of all in the final sector.
Softs remain the order of the day, though Red Bull have only run the hards and Aston Martin the mediums.
The Mercedes pair both bolt on a set of fresh softs. Both improve, but only minimally, Russell to 16.564 and Hamilton to 16.786.
While most have completed around 9 or 10 laps, Verstappen has done 20 and his teammate 18.
Quickest in the first two sectors, Norris maintains the pace into S3, crossing the line at 16.098, 0.466s up on Russell.
Albon goes third overall (16.661), as Piastri looks set to improve. Indeed, the Australian, who is quickest of all in S3, crosses the line just 0.044s down on his McLaren teammate.
As Verstappen heads out on fresh softs, Hulkenberg goes quickest in S1. The German subsequently goes fifth with a 16.696.
Gasly improves to twelfth with a 17.499 as Bottas goes seventh with a 16.804.
Verstappen goes third (16.379), 0.281s down on Norris, the Dutchman shaking his head in obvious frustration.
Ricciardo goes fifth with a 16.652 as the Ferrari pair head out. Zhou goes twelfth.
Sainz improves to fifth (16.639), while Leclerc can only manage tenth (16.803).
Perez finally heads out on softs, as Alonso all switches to the red-banded rubber.
Perez can only manage thirteenth (16.954).
Out come the yellows when Hamilton spins in Turn 9, thereby compromising Alonso's hot lap.
"Stay in gear, slow in, slow in," Zhou is instructed.
Alonso can only manage 14th (17.001) as Verstappen runs wide in Turn 1 after a major lock-up.
The session ends. Norris is quickest, ahead of Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Sainz, Ricciardo, Albon, Hulkenberg, Tsunoda and Hamilton.
Leclerc is eleventh, ahead of Bottas, Perez, Alonso, Stroll, Sargeant, Zhou, Gasly, Magnussen and Ocon.
Not having the guts for gambling, we have to admit that it would be a brave man to risk his hard-earned on the outcome this afternoon or indeed tomorrow, other than to say the McLarens look very, very strong.
Other than the fact that the softs are clearly only good for lap, we are seeing one driver at each team struggling a lot more than his teammate, while the pace of outsiders such as Ricciardo, Albon and Hulkenberg gives the prospect of some shocks later this afternoon, all of which, given the nature of the track, will carry over.
Not for the first time, a session which has posed more questions than it has answered.
Check out our Saturday gallery from the Hungaroring here.