Carlos Sainz leads the pack in first practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz set the pace in the first practice session (FP1) of the Hungarian Grand Prix, clocking the fastest lap time of 1’18.713.

The Ferrari driver demonstrated excellent control and speed on the Hungaroring circuit, putting him at the top of the leaderboard.

Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, closely followed Sainz, securing the second-fastest time of the session. Verstappen’s best lap was 1’18.989, trailing Sainz by 0.276 seconds. Charles Leclerc, Sainz’s teammate at Ferrari, rounded out the top three with a lap time of 1’19.011, just 0.298 seconds behind the leader.

Mercedes’ George Russell showed competitive form, finishing fourth with a time of 1’19.137, 0.424 seconds off the pace. Zhou Guanyu delivered a notable performance for Sauber, securing fifth place with a 1’19.180, highlighting his potential on the track.

The McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Norris posted a time of 1’19.211, while Piastri was close behind at 1’19.249. Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull-Honda clinched the eighth spot with a lap time of 1’19.260.

Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes completed the top ten. Stroll’s best time was 1’19.265, while Hamilton recorded a 1’19.287, placing them ninth and tenth, respectively.

Sergio Pérez of Red Bull was eleventh with a time of 1’19.440. Daniel Ricciardo, returning to the grid with Red Bull-Honda, clocked 1’19.578, securing the twelfth spot. Fernando Alonso, driving for Aston Martin, finished in thirteenth place with a time of 1’19.686.

Williams’ Alexander Albon and Valtteri Bottas from Sauber were fourteenth and fifteenth, respectively. Albon recorded a time of 1’19.794, while Bottas posted a 1’19.804. Logan Sargeant, the second Williams driver, finished sixteenth with a lap time of 1’19.885.

The Alpine team had a challenging session, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon finishing seventeenth and eighteenth. Gasly’s best lap was 1’19.976, and Ocon’s was 1’20.023. Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Oliver Bearman rounded out the field, finishing nineteenth and twentieth with times of 1’20.295 and 1’20.371, respectively.

As the teams analyze their data from FP1, they’ll be looking to make crucial adjustments ahead of the second practice session. The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend promises to deliver more excitement as the drivers push their limits on this demanding circuit.