MAX VERSTAPPEN will be looking to further assert his dominance on this F1 season with another race win this weekend in Hungary.
Chalres Leclerc is the Dutchman’s closest competitor this year, but it looks as if Verstappen is going to seal a second successive gong.
Lewis Hamilton is still fighting, as is Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz, but a win could all but wrap up the title for Verstappen on Sunday.
- Grand Prix date: Sunday, July 31
- Qualifying: Saturday, July 30
- TV/live stream: Sky Sports F1
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Mercedes are sinking…
Hamilton is now only 14th and Russell in 15th. It is not going well…
Mercedes still off the pace
Hamilton is 1.9 seconds down on Leclerc. That is a HUGE difference.
Session under way in Hungary
Busy track already for FP2 as drivers look to make improvements from the earlier session.
Currently have Leclerc, Sainz and Verstappen as the top three..
Hamilton next to leave F1?
Following Seb Vettel’s retirement announcement, Lewis Hamilton insists he has no plans to step away from F1 just yet.
The Brit said: “It’s a reminder that I’m in that part of my career that people that I came up with, and have raced with for so long, will start to stop.
“Before you know it, Fernando [Alonso] will not be here and then… who is there after that?
“I’ll be the oldest. But no, it’s not made me think about that.”
Sainz top dog in FP1
Carlos Sainz was 0.130 seconds quicker than Max Verstappen in first practice.
But it’s teammate Charles Leclerc who needs the win in Hungary more than anyone as he looks to resurrect his title challenge.
He was 0.289 seconds off the pace earlier today.
Hamilton on Vettel
Lewis Hamilton responded to the news with a heartfelt post in which he tweeted: “Seb, it’s been an honour to call you a competitor and an ever greater honour to call you my friend.
“Leaving this sport better than you found it is always the goal.
“I have no doubt that whatever comes next for you will be exciting, meaningful, and rewarding. Love you, man.”
ICYMI – Sebastian Vettel to retire
Sebastian Vettel has confirmed he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season.
The four-time world champion, 35, made his debut in 2007 and has 290 race starts – including 53 wins.
Tsunoda troubles in Budapest
Yuki Tsunoda locked up going into turn one.
His AlphaTauri’s tyres smoked in FP1 creating this cool snap.
FP1 is done – advantage Ferrari
Sainz tops the session from Verstappen by 0.130 seconds.
Leclerc in third, Norris in fourth in an encouraging sign for McLaren.
Russell fifth, Perez sixth and Hamilton in seventh as Mercedes clearly have their work cut out.
Alpine are in ninth and 10th place with Ocon and Alonso as they sit perhaps a little further back than they’d like to be.
Latifi is slowest with Kubica finishing just ahead of him. Schumacher and Magnussen in the bottom four, not what Haas would have hoped for with all those upgrades.
FP2 is coming up later this afternoon.
Kubica in 19th
The Polish driver is standing in for Valtteri Bottas for this session but it is difficult to see what he can bring to Alfa Romeo’s improvements.
I know they have chances to offer up slots in FP1, but Kubica is doing very little to impress and it perhaps would have been better to hand that opportunity to a young driver.
10 minutes to go
Sainz leads Verstappen by just 0.130 seconds. Leclerc is just 0.289 behind his teammate’s best lap time.
It is close between the top three.
Russell is best of the rest in fourth but 0.856 seconds slower than Sainz’s Ferrari, so Mercedes have work to do.
Clear pattern forming at the top
Ferrari, Red Bull, Merc drivers all occupying the top six spaces. Then the two McLarens, then the two AlfaTauris.
At the bottom are the two Aston Martins.
20 minutes gone
Leclerc tops the timesheets from Verstappen. Sainz in P3 as the usual pecking order forms at the top.
Mercedes in 7th and 8th with Russell and Hamilton.
Norris, Stroll and Vettel are the bottom three at this stage. Norris with fewer laps than anyone else at the foot of the timesheet.
Plenty of early action
Every driver has been out on track to put in some early laps. That man Verstappen sits at the top of the timesheets.
Russell is on his lap but radios his team to say the car doesn’t sound right.
We are Go in Budapest
The pitlane is open and the first practice session for the Hungarian GP in underway.
Weather is glorious, warm and sunny. Should be plenty of running.
Expect plenty of laps, especially from the Haas boys, who have a huge set of updated parts for this race.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
