Piastri Edges Norris in Final Hungarian GP Practice as McLaren Dominates
Oscar Piastri Tops Final Practice Ahead of Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying
Oscar Piastri delivered a statement performance in the final practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, posting the fastest lap to set the stage for Saturday's qualifying session. The McLaren driver outpaced his teammate Lando Norris—who had topped the timesheets in the first two practice sessions—by just 0.032 seconds, highlighting the team's impressive form heading into the weekend.
The session showcased McLaren's growing momentum, with both drivers demonstrating excellent pace around the Hungaroring. Piastri, who currently leads the championship standings by 16 points over Norris, will look to maintain his edge as the fight for pole position looms.
Ferrari in Contention, Mercedes and Aston Martin Close Behind
Behind the McLaren duo, Charles Leclerc led the charge for Ferrari, clocking the third-fastest time, though he finished four tenths of a second adrift of the leader. Lewis Hamilton, recently displaying flashes of his old brilliance, secured fourth place in the second Ferrari.
Mercedez's rising talent Kimi Antonelli impressed once again with a solid fifth-place showing, bolstering the team’s hopes of a strong weekend. Fernando Alonso, continuing to extract the maximum from his Aston Martin, slotted into sixth on the timesheets, keeping the top of the grid tightly contested.
George Russell secured eighth for Mercedes, but teammate Max Verstappen endured yet another challenging outing in what has been a frustrating weekend for the Red Bull ace. Verstappen could only manage 12th, finishing a concerning 1.2 seconds off Piastri's pace.
The four-time world champion made his frustrations clear, citing the handling difficulties of his Red Bull on the technical Hungaroring circuit. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda fared no better, ending the session in 19th, capping a dismal practice for the Red Bull garage.
All Eyes on Qualifying
With practice sessions in the books, attention now turns to qualifying for the 14th round of the 24-race season. The session is scheduled for 16:00 local time (15:00 BST), and the tight margins seen in practice suggest an exhilarating battle for pole is on the horizon.
Piastri enters qualifying with a significant psychological advantage, not just from topping the final practice but also from his enviable position atop the drivers’ standings. However, with teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin showing competitive pace, the fight for grid position promises to be fiercely contested.
As the championship battle heats up, McLaren appears poised to make a statement in Hungary, but the unpredictability of qualifying—and Verstappen’s well-documented resilience—means nothing is guaranteed under the blazing Budapest sun.
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