Mercedes faces tough Friday practice at Hungarian GP; Antonelli struggles but long-run pace promising
Mercedes ended Friday practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix with mixed results, as George Russell placed fifth in both sessions while Kimi Antonelli struggled to 13th in FP2, though long-run pace offered encouragement.
- 1:19.662
- P7
- P13
What Happened
Mercedes had a challenging opening day at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with drivers facing low grip from a recently resurfaced track and high tire degradation. George Russell was the team's top performer, finishing fifth in both FP1 and FP2, while Kimi Antonelli ended FP2 in 13th after his session was interrupted by a red flag. Reserve driver Fred Vesti impressed in his second FP1 outing of the season, placing seventh.
- P5, 1:20.066 (21 laps)
- P5, 1:19.662 (29 laps)
- P7, 1:20.467 (24 laps)
“It was a strange day, and I think that applied to all drivers on track. The Hungaroring is a fantastic circuit, but the resurfacing made conditions quite tricky today. It was very bumpy in places, which caused issues. That also affected tire degradation, which was higher than expected. Our one-lap pace didn't look particularly good, but our long run seemed more competitive. Ferrari appears very st”
“It was a tricky first day here in Budapest – and that probably applied to everyone. While Fred did a good job in the car, I sat out the first session. When I returned for FP2, I struggled with the balance, especially on a single lap. My first attempt was aborted due to the red flag, and then I tried to set a time once the session resumed, but I got caught in traffic and had issues with locking rea”
“Fred put in a really strong second outing in the W17 today. It's not easy to step in after months without driving the actual car and perform with only a few laps to get up to speed. Seventh place is a very solid result. However, it wasn't an easy day. In FP1, we didn't have the car in the right window, with poor rear grip that worsened over the lap. We went the wrong way with our first setup chang”
Across the field, high tire degradation was observed during long runs, making strategy a key factor for the race. Mercedes believes their long-run performance is more competitive than their single-lap pace suggests. The team will work overnight to improve balance and one-lap speed, aiming to close the gap to Ferrari, who appeared to be a step ahead.
Previously from Mercedes-Benz
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix on July 18, 2026, with a lap of 1:44.361, while George Russell qualified fourth but started third due to a McLaren grid penalty.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Mercedes-Benz's official releases.
Why this matters
For Formula 1 fans, this sets the stage for the weekend; Mercedes must improve one-lap pace to challenge Ferrari, who appear dominant. The team's ability to analyze data and adjust overnight will be critical for qualifying and the race.
Terms in This Story
- FP1/FP2
- Free Practice sessions held on Friday of a Grand Prix weekend, used for setup and data collection.
- Long run
- A stint of multiple laps with a full fuel load to simulate race conditions and assess tire degradation.
- Red flag
- A signal that stops a session due to a dangerous condition; all cars must return to the pits.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.