George Russell has highlighted the strong pace shown by Ferrari during the Friday practice sessions at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Mercedes faced challenges in matching their rivals' speed. The sessions revealed a clear performance gap on the resurfaced and bumpy Hungaroring track, with Ferrari drivers setting the fastest times.
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in the two practice sessions, underlining Ferrari’s competitiveness. Russell, who finished fifth in both sessions, acknowledged the difficulty Mercedes experienced in achieving single-lap pace, although he noted the team’s relatively better performance over longer runs. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ third driver, Fred Vesti, also took part in the sessions, contributing to the team’s data gathering.
Kimi Antonelli faced a delayed start to the day, missing the first practice session and ending the second in 13th place. His running was further disrupted by a red flag and oversteer issues, which prevented him from completing a qualifying simulation lap. Despite these setbacks, Russell expressed confidence that Mercedes had resolved previous software power issues but admitted that the team still had work to do to close the gap to Ferrari.
Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord remained optimistic about the team’s prospects, emphasizing their consistent competitiveness across various circuits this season. He suggested that despite the challenges seen on Friday, Mercedes was still in contention for pole position in qualifying. The team’s focus appeared to be on improving single-lap performance to better match Ferrari’s pace on the Hungaroring.
The resurfaced track conditions at the Hungarian Grand Prix presented unique challenges, with bumps affecting car balance and grip. Ferrari seemed to adapt well to these conditions, which contributed to their strong showing in practice. Mercedes, on the other hand, was still working to find the optimal setup and performance balance under these circumstances.
Russell’s remarks underline the ongoing competitive dynamic between Mercedes and Ferrari in the 2026 season. While Ferrari currently holds a performance advantage on this particular track, Mercedes’ longer-run pace and experience suggest the situation could evolve as the weekend progresses. The practice sessions provided valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of both teams ahead of qualifying and the race.
