Ferrari emerged as the team to beat during Friday practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix, but while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc celebrated an encouraging start to the weekend, Max Verstappen and Red Bull quietly positioned themselves within striking distance as Mercedes endured an unexpectedly difficult day.
Hamilton finished fastest in the second practice session after Ferrari showed speed throughout Friday, completing a one-two finish ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. The Scuderia demonstrated competitive pace over both qualifying simulations and longer race runs, giving the Italian team confidence heading into Saturday.
For Red Bull, the story was considerably more positive than recent weekends may suggest.
Although Ferrari finished atop the timesheets, Verstappen remained consistently near the front throughout both practice sessions and appeared comfortable with the RB22 around the tight, technical Hungaroring. Rather than chasing outright lap times, Red Bull focused on race preparation and setup work, leaving the reigning world champion firmly in contention despite Ferrari's headline-grabbing performance.
The defending champions know qualifying position is especially valuable at the Hungaroring, where overtaking has traditionally proven difficult, and Verstappen's pace suggests Red Bull remains capable of challenging for pole.
While Ferrari and Red Bull looked evenly matched, Mercedes faced a much more complicated Friday.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli struggled to find the balance that has defined his impressive rookie campaign. The young Italian spent much of both sessions battling an inconsistent car, reporting handling issues over team radio while falling well outside the pace established by Ferrari and Verstappen.
Antonelli was unable to extract performance from the Mercedes during qualifying simulations and never looked fully comfortable through the circuit's slower corners, where rear stability and traction proved difficult to maintain. The team experimented with several setup changes throughout the day but was unable to unlock the pace that has made Mercedes one of Formula 1's strongest teams for much of the season.
George Russell experienced many of the same difficulties.
Neither Mercedes driver appeared capable of matching Ferrari over a single lap, and both struggled to maintain consistency over longer runs as changing track temperatures added another challenge during the afternoon session.
For a team leading the Drivers' Championship with Antonelli, Friday represented one of its most challenging practice performances of the year.
Mercedes engineers will now spend Friday evening analyzing setup data in hopes of recovering performance before qualifying, knowing the Hungaroring offers few opportunities to make up positions once the lights go out on Sunday.
Ferrari, meanwhile, leaves Friday with momentum.
Hamilton's fastest lap and Leclerc's consistency suggest the Scuderia has found a setup capable of competing for both pole position and victory, while Verstappen's steady pace ensures Red Bull remains a serious threat despite not topping either session.
If Friday proved anything, it is that Ferrari currently holds the advantage—but only a small one.
With Verstappen close behind and Mercedes expected to improve overnight, Saturday's qualifying session remains wide open.
What's Next?
Teams return Saturday for final practice before qualifying, where Ferrari will attempt to convert Friday's pace into pole position while Red Bull looks to close the remaining gap. Mercedes faces its biggest overnight challenge, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli searching for improvements after an unusually difficult opening day.