The Madrid man finishes third on the day, with the Asturian sixth on his 41st birthday, although the rain forecast makes the standings unpredictable
The Hungarian circuit normally leaves no room for spectacle, much less on a Friday of free practice. The twisty Magyar layout, considered a sort of outer Monaco, led to a not very productive session in terms of show, although it did serve to confirm sensations. One of the first is that Ferrari wants to make up for what happened in France. The painful departure of Charles Leclerc, who was the fastest in free practice on Friday, is still too heavy. The feeling within the Scuderia is that they missed a golden opportunity, not only because of the KO of the Monegask, but because by winning Max Verstappen, they practically left to convict the title. Although there is still just under half a season to go, the Dutchman now only has to play defensively, as he has a lead of 63 points. He can drop out the next two races and still be the leader.
Leclerc’s confidence issues force Carlos Sainz to step forward. Since the Canadian GP and especially since his win at Silverstone, he has come to know the Ferrari F1-75 and it is getting harder and harder for him to get a good lap. It wasn’t for nothing that he was fastest in the first free morning practice and then finished third in the afternoon practice, behind his teammate and an unexpected Lando Norris, who scored the second time of the day. The McLarens could be the surprise guests of the weekend as Sainz’s former team-mate and close friend’s great result is joined by the fifth fastest time from Daniel Ricciardo, who is half a meter away from the Woking team.
Sainz ended the day with a good feeling. “It was an interesting Friday. The car felt great straight out of the garage in FP1 and we were able to put in some really good laps. For FP2 we have tried a number of set-up changes to determine which way to go for tomorrow and the race. We have lost some ‘feel’, but we are in a good place in terms of balance and pace,” said the Spanish Ferrari driver.
Fernando Alonso, who blew out the candles for his 41st birthday in the Alpine motorhome between the first and second free practice – it is no coincidence that he appeared together with Otmar Szafnauer, the team leader chosen for being one of those who pushes to replace him with Oscar Piastri-, scored a more than decent sixth time. “It was great to shoot in Budapest on my birthday!” the Asturian joked. Alonso took half a second from his teammate Esteban Ocon, who got no further than 13th in the time frame. Again, it looks like the Spaniard is a point ahead in terms of performance, but this Saturday everything could change. “It was a productive Friday and we tried a few different things with regard to the set-up of the car,” Alonso explained after getting out of the car.
On a track like the Hungaroring track conditions are crucial when it comes to grip and temperature. It is no coincidence that Pirelli is bringing its round softer tires here, although a very busy Saturday is expected. In addition to maximum surprise, both the third free practice and the standings will be played in the rain. And it won’t be four drops. It is feared that the water will be so heavy that it will fall in the form of very severe storms that will force the cancellation of the sessions and that the ‘poleman’ will be decided on Sunday. Formula 1 does not want images like those in Belgium from last year to be seen, so a protocol has been drawn up for the classification, in case rain cannot be played.
In these circumstances, everything can change. Some drivers are looking forward to it, in the case of Lewis Hamilton or George Russell, who saw their Mercedes – the seven-time champion even said it was “undriveable” – didn’t even hit the ‘top 5’. In wet track conditions, the differences are minimized and can lead to surprises, which in turn will affect the race on Sunday. But there will be time for that. Every day has its eagerness.
Source: La Verdad
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