Norris leads Piastri in McLaren one-two during final practice in Hungary
McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in a dominant one-two finish for the team during the third and final practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The duo led from Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen.
After a disrupted FP2 on Friday, caused by Charles Leclerc's collision with the barriers, drivers returned to the Hungaroring track at 12:30 local time for their last opportunity to fine-tune setups ahead of qualifying.
Amid slightly cooler temperatures than previous sessions, Verstappen was one of the earliest to post a timed lap. However, the Dutchman struggled with understeer and rear grip issues in his RB20.
The session gained momentum with 40 minutes remaining as many drivers took to the track on soft tires for their flying laps. Norris, who had already topped FP2, clocked a fastest time of 1:16.931s by the session's midpoint.
Remarkable performances from Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda saw them initially slot into second and third positions respectively. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz experienced a brief scare at Turn 4, the same spot where his Ferrari teammate Leclerc had spun off on Friday.
As the session progressed, Red Bull and Aston Martin opted for different tire strategies, saving their soft compounds for later runs. This tactical move led to a reshuffling of the leaderboard. With times tumbling in the final 20 minutes, Norris reclaimed the top spot with a blistering 1:16.098s, nearly half a second ahead of Mercedes' George Russell.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloPiastri came close but fell short by 0.044 seconds, securing second place. Verstappen's initial lap on softs was less than ideal, leaving him in third, following another off-track excursion on his final attempt.
Russell concluded the session in fourth for Mercedes, followed by Sainz in fifth and Ricciardo in sixth. Williams' Alex Albon displayed encouraging pace to finish seventh, ahead of Haas' Nico Hulkenberg in eighth.
Tsunoda secured P9, marking a solid session for Red Bull, while Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top ten despite a late spin at Turn 9.
Leclerc managed P11 upon returning to action after FP2 mishap, followed by Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in P12. Sergio Perez, after showing good pace on Friday, could only secure P13 for Red Bull.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finished 14th and 15th respectively, ahead of Williams' Logan Sargeant, Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Haas' Kevin Magnussen, and Esteban Ocon of Alpine who rounded out the order.
As teams shift their focus, the stage is set for an intriguing qualifying session later in the day.
