2024 Hungarian GP FP2: Norris top and Leclerc brings out red flag

Lando Norris showcased impressive speed in his McLaren, outpacing Max Verstappen in the second practice session, which was marred by a crash involving Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Ben

By Ben Bush
Updated on October 10, 2024

Lando Norris McLaren 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix FP2
Lando Norris, car number 4, tops the timesheets in FP2 with McLaren for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix // Image: McLaren

Lando Norris topped the timesheets on the opening day of the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix after setting the fastest time in the second practice session, which saw an interruption due to Charles Leclerc’s earlier crash.

With air temperatures reaching 31 degrees Celsius, several drivers quickly took to the track when the green light signalled the start at 5:00 pm local time. Nico Hulkenberg was among the first, having sat out FP1 to allow rookie Oliver Bearman to drive his Haas.

Formula One History Recommends

Sergio Perez initially set the pace in the early laps, but his teammate Max Verstappen soon reported brake issues over the radio, saying, “My brakes are not working. They’re not biting.” Both Red Bull drivers started on medium tyres, while McLaren opted for the hard compound.

The session was halted with about 44 minutes remaining when Leclerc took too much curb at Turn 4, spinning off and hitting the barriers. Luckily, he was unharmed, and the marshals recovered his Ferrari.

After a brief pause, the session resumed with less than 30 minutes to go. Most drivers switched to soft tyres for fast laps. However, there was more drama as Zhou Guanyu spun and narrowly avoided hitting Perez’s Red Bull.

Norris topped the timesheets with a lap of 1m 17.788s in his McLaren, 0.243s ahead of Verstappen. Carlos Sainz was the leading Ferrari in third, with Perez in fourth.

George Russell secured fifth place for Mercedes, followed by Kevin Magnussen in sixth place for Haas, and Lewis Hamilton in seventh place for Mercedes. Daniel Ricciardo took eighth in the RB, with Alex Albon of Williams and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin completing the top 10.

Valtteri Bottas placed 11th for Kick Sauber, ahead of Logan Sargeant in the Williams and Oscar Piastri in the McLaren, who lost time in the garage due to floor damage.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly of Alpine were 14th and 16th, respectively, separated by Hulkenberg in 15th. Lance Stroll, running updates on his Aston Martin, finished 17th.

Leclerc couldn’t rejoin, leaving him in 18th, while Yuki Tsunoda was 19th after his RB underwent a suspension change. Zhou finished 20th.

With Friday’s action complete, teams would be back out on track for the final practice on Saturday at 12:30 pm local time, followed by qualifying later that day.

Hungarian GP FP2 Results

2024 Hungarian Grand Prix FP2, 19 July 2024

PosNoDriverCarTimeGapLaps
14Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:17.78824
21Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:18.031+0.243s20
355Carlos SainzFerrari1:18.185+0.397s23
411Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:18.255+0.467s23
563George RussellMercedes1:18.294+0.506s20
620Kevin MagnussenHaas Ferrari1:18.315+0.527s24
744Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:18.363+0.575s20
83Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:18.371+0.583s20
923Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:18.514+0.726s22
1014Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:18.519+0.731s23
1177Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:18.586+0.798s25
122Logan SargeantWilliams Mercedes1:18.611+0.823s21
1381Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:18.618+0.830s21
1431Esteban OconAlpine Renault1:18.754+0.966s25
1527Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:18.791+1.003s25
1610Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:18.888+1.100s24
1718Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:19.179+1.391s25
1816Charles LeclercFerrari1:19.286+1.498s8
1922Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:19.606+1.818s13
2024Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:20.067+2.279s25

Seen in:

About The Author

Chief Editor

Ben Bush
Ben

Ben is our chief editor specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.

Latest Reads