Ferrari Looks Fast, But Is It Real?
Ferrari dominated the Friday practice timesheets at the Hungarian Grand Prix. They held a clear half-second gap over their closest rivals. Yet this lead might be a trick. The long-run data tells a very different story. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli showed the true speed of the field. He produced the strongest pace during the heavy fuel runs. This fact changes how we view the upcoming race weekend.
According to Motorsport.com, the Italian driver averaged 0.46 seconds per lap faster than Charles Leclerc. Leclerc’s Ferrari race simulation was anything but consistent. Lewis Hamilton also struggled with a long run that was 0.67 seconds slower. Even rivals from McLaren and Mercedes found more speed over distance. Lando Norris was 0.52 seconds quicker, while George Russell posted 0.61 seconds. The gap between single-lap speed and race pace is huge.
The Bumpy Track Causes Big Trouble
George Russell explained why the Mercedes team felt so worried. He stated that what they ‘feared’ from Ferrari came true in practice. The SF-26 car proved ‘a good step ahead of everyone’ in slow corners. But the track surface itself caused major issues for many teams. Russell noted that Budapest is an amazing track to drive but is now very bumpy. He said parts of the track are breaking up around the last couple of corners.
These bumps make the cars hard to control. The new surface is super bumpy and breaking up in spots. This creates a strange driving experience for everyone on the grid. Russell admitted their single-lap pace didn’t look great either. The team feared Ferrari’s advantage and saw it happen. They reported confidence-sapping balance issues and a lack of grip.
Why This Matters for the Race
This split between qualifying speed and race pace is a big problem. Ferrari looks strong on a single lap but struggles with tire wear. Red Bull shows a similar pattern with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Both drivers lost significant time to Antonelli on the long runs. Hadjar lost an average of 0.79 seconds per lap. Verstappen was 0.82 seconds slower than the young leader. This suggests both top teams need to fix their setups fast.
The Hungaroring is notoriously difficult for overtaking. Qualifying traditionally matters far more here than anywhere else. If Ferrari cannot fix their long-run pace, they might still win the pole. But they could lose the race on Sunday. The Scuderia must examine this issue during their post-session debriefs. They need to optimize the set-up for the rest of the weekend. A fast car on one lap means little if it cannot finish strong.
Antonelli Sets the Standard
Young Kimi Antonelli has set a new benchmark for the field. He had to abandon his soft-tyre qualifying simulation after a red flag. A mistake on his second attempt also cost him valuable time. Despite these setbacks, he still produced the fastest long-run pace. This shows immense talent and car control under pressure. He sat out the opening session to let Frederik Vesti drive. Yet he remains the true pace setter for the weekend.
Mercedes driver George Russell was 1.964 seconds off Antonelli’s pace. Russell finished 13th overall because he could not set a representative lap. He had to abort his first flying lap due to Franco Colapinto’s crash. A lock-up then compromised his second attempt. Even with these issues, Antonelli’s speed stands out. He proves that the gap between teams is smaller than the timesheets show. Fans should watch how Ferrari handles this pressure on Saturday.