2024 Hungarian Grand Prix: Lando Norris Tops FP2 as Leclerc Crashes Out

Lando Norris topped in second practice for Hungarian Grand Prix, as Charles Leclerc suffered a heavy crash

In a thrilling Free Practice 2 for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris showcased his speed by topping the timesheets, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc suffered a heavy crash that brought out the red flag.

Norris set an impressive lap time of 1:17.788 which placed him ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen, who finished in second place with a time of 1:18.031, just 0.243 seconds behind. The Dutchman’s performance was notable as he managed to set his best time on medium tires, indicating that Red Bull remains a strong contender despite the challenges of the Hungaroring’s tight layout.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured third place with a time of 1:18.185, finishing 0.397 seconds off Norris’s pace. Sainz’s performance was critical for Ferrari, which had a mixed session following a strong showing in the first practice.

However, the session was marred by a significant incident involving Sainz’s teammate, Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc’s session ended prematurely when he lost control of his Ferrari while navigating Turn 4. The Monegasque driver spun and crashed into the barriers, causing substantial damage to both the front and rear of his car. The crash brought out the red flag for approximately 10 minutes, halting the session as track officials worked to clear the wreckage and repair the barriers.

Fortunately, Leclerc emerged uninjured from the crash, but the incident meant he missed out on valuable qualifying simulation runs. This setback raises concerns for Ferrari as they look to bounce back in the qualifying rounds.

Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez finished fourth with a time of 1:18.255, providing a boost of optimism for the team. The Mexican’s performance came without the upgraded package the team had brought to Hungary, suggesting that he still has room for improvement as the weekend progresses.

Mercedes’ George Russell claimed fifth place with a time of 1:18.444, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled to find pace, finishing seventh with a time of 1:18.363. Russell’s strong showing indicates that Mercedes is making progress, but Hamilton’s position reflects the ongoing challenges the team faces in optimizing their car’s performance.

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen finished sixth with a time of 1:18.315, demonstrating the team’s potential to score points this weekend. Daniel Ricciardo, driving for VCARB, secured eighth place with a time of 1:18.371.

Williams’ Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten, finishing ninth and tenth with times of 1:18.514 and 1:18.519, respectively. Both drivers will be looking to improve their positions as the weekend progresses.

The remaining drivers included Valtteri Bottas in eleventh (1:18.586), Logan Sargeant in twelfth (1:18.611), while Oscar Piastri produced disappointing results for McLaren in thirteenth (1:18.618). Alpine’s Esteban Ocon finished fourteenth (1:19.054), while Nico Hülkenberg took fifteenth (1:19.091).

Pierre Gasly finished sixteenth (1:19.188), followed by Lance Stroll in seventeenth (1:19.179). Charles Leclerc, who crashed, ended up in eighteenth place with a time of 1:19.286. Yuki Tsunoda of VCARB and Zhou Guanyu of Sauber rounded off the grid in nineteenth and twentieth places, respectively.

2024 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix FP2 Results