Red Bull must find significantly more single-lap pace before Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying after Ferrari established a clear advantage during Friday practice at the Hungaroring. Max Verstappen remained near the front despite struggling with the balance of his car, while Isack Hadjar said the team’s long-run pace appeared stronger than its qualifying performance.
The opening day of practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the 11th round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, highlighted Ferrari’s dominance at the Hungaroring. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in FP2 with a 1:18.729, finishing 0.148 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
The Maranello team confirmed the excellent pace already displayed in FP1 and emerged as the clear favourite for the Hungarian weekend. The circuit’s characteristics had already suggested that the SF-26’s low-speed cornering strength could prove important at the Hungaroring, and Ferrari’s Friday performance reinforced that expectation.
Red Bull needs more single-lap pace for Hungarian GP qualifying
Max Verstappen still produced a strong performance despite Red Bull’s wider difficulties. The Dutch driver finished FP2 in fourth place, 0.692 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, while also placing ahead of the Mercedes drivers after the Brackley team endured a difficult Friday in Hungary.
Max Verstappen remained consistently near the top of the classification in both practice sessions, but the four-time world champion admitted that the car was not yet behaving as required.
“It was a difficult day. It was hard to find a good balance in the car,” Max Verstappen said. “We need to make the car more consistent over the lap and ensure it also works during the longer runs. So there is still work to do ahead of tomorrow.”
The main weakness concerned the car’s balance and the need to improve its performance over a single lap. Red Bull must make progress in that area to become more competitive in qualifying, while also ensuring that any changes do not compromise the car during the longer race simulations.
Isack Hadjar sees stronger Red Bull long-run performance
Isack Hadjar offered a clear and realistic assessment of Red Bull’s prospects. The young French driver acknowledged that the team must recover a considerable amount of lap time if it is to compete on equal terms with a Ferrari that appeared better suited to the Hungaroring.
After beginning the weekend with fourth place in FP1, 0.922 seconds behind Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar encountered a more complicated second practice session.
“It was a very tricky FP2,” Isack Hadjar said. “I thought FP1 was already quite difficult, but it became worse in FP2 with the wind. It is difficult to get a clear picture with the changes we made.”
“As soon as I get into the car, it works well. It is just that the Ferraris are always stronger. We need to find quite a lot of lap time overnight. Our long runs looked fairly good, but we are missing single-lap pace.”
His comments highlighted the contrasting picture inside the Red Bull garage. The team’s race simulations offered some encouragement, but its qualifying pace remained insufficient against Ferrari. That is particularly important at the Hungaroring, where starting position can play a major role because overtaking is difficult.
Isack Hadjar added: “I knew they would be quick at a circuit like this. At the moment, I think we are waiting for Mercedes to wake up. As always, I believe it will be very close with the McLarens, so that is where we currently stand.”
Mercedes had arrived in Budapest expecting its W17 to be competitive, with the team previously expressing confidence that it could challenge Ferrari at the Hungaroring. McLaren also remained part of the closely matched group behind the leading Ferraris after introducing a major MCL40 upgrade package in Hungary.
Pierre Waché confirms Red Bull balance problems
Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché confirmed that the team was not satisfied with its position after Friday practice.
“We are not where we should be or where we want to be,” Pierre Waché explained. “Our drivers are not happy with the balance of the car. Clearly, the grip at this circuit is very low on Friday. The bumps around the track also disturb the balance of the car.”
“We expected Ferrari to be the fastest in certain sections here and to have an advantage, particularly over a single lap. We will see what they have on the long runs, but they have the car to beat here.”
Low grip and an uneven surface made it harder for Red Bull to establish a predictable balance. The changing wind conditions further complicated the work, particularly when the drivers attempted to evaluate the effect of set-up changes between runs.
Pierre Waché’s assessment also confirmed that Ferrari’s pace was not entirely unexpected. However, the size of the Scuderia’s advantage over one lap means Red Bull faces a demanding programme before qualifying.
Hungaroring ends Red Bull’s momentum from Belgium
Red Bull arrived in Hungary after a strong Belgian Grand Prix, where Isack Hadjar recovered from 21st to sixth place and Max Verstappen finished on the podium. The Hungaroring’s very different characteristics have effectively reset that momentum.
Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar and the entire team must now work intensively to optimise the set-up and reduce the gap before qualifying and Sunday’s race. Improving the car’s consistency across a full lap will be essential, but Red Bull must also protect the relatively encouraging long-run performance identified during Friday’s work.
The narrow margins between Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren could make any overnight improvement particularly valuable, both for the Hungarian Grand Prix and the wider battle reflected in the 2026 Formula 1 driver standings.
Ferrari, meanwhile, begins the remainder of the weekend from a position of strength and will aim to capitalise on the advantage demonstrated during the opening day. Red Bull’s immediate challenge is clear: find the missing single-lap pace without losing the qualities that made its longer runs look more competitive.
Leave a Reply