Hungarian GP: Lewis Hamilton fastest in practice

Lewis Hamilton headed team-mate Valtteri Bottas to a Mercedes one-two in first practice at the Hungarian GP. Hamilton was 0.086 seconds quicker than the Finn despite running harder tires as Mercedes looked dominant.

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez was third, 0.527secs adrift, and 0.437secs ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll. Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo took fifth, from Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Red Bull, who came to Hungary expected to pose a bigger challenge to Mercedes on this track than at the previous two races in Austria, appeared struggling. Verstappen, who became involved in an on-track confrontation with Williams driver Nicholas Latifi after the Canadian blocked him, was 1.4secs off Hamilton’s pace, despite the

Dutchman using the softest possible tire and Hamilton the hardest. Red Bull’s pace was so far off its usual level that the assumption must be that they were running in a different specification than the others.

Bottas’ fastest time was set on the medium tire, as Mercedes split the tires on their cars for the second runs. Underlining Mercedes’ pace, Hamilton was quicker than any other driver subsequently managed when using the softest tire in the first part of the session when the track was dirty and slower.

That time was 0.123secs slower than the world champion’s ultimate quickest time.

This weekend, Hamilton has a chance to equal the record for most wins at a single circuit, held at the moment by Michael Schumacher, who won the French Grand Prix eight times. Hamilton has won seven times in Hungary and Canada.