Event: Hungarian F1 Grand Prix
Track: Hungaroring circuit

Weather: dry  23°C
Tarmac: dry  33°C
Humidity : 50%
Wind : 1 km/h E
Pressure: 983 mbar

Leclerc Tops FP2 in Mixed Session Ahead of Hungarian GP Qualifying

The second practice session for the 2023 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix took place today, and it provided plenty of intrigue and questions for the teams ahead of tomorrow's qualifying session.

Mixed Up Leader Board

Surprisingly, some of the usual top contenders found themselves in the bottom five positions in FP2. Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez, Oscar Piastri, and George Russell finished in positions that are far from their usual standing. Whether this is indicative of their true performance or just a result of different strategies remains to be seen.

Leclerc Impresses

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc had a standout performance, setting the fastest lap of the session with a time of 1m 17.686s. He narrowly edged out McLaren's Lando Norris by a mere 0.015s, with Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri following closely in third place, two tenths behind.

Pirelli's Alternative Tyre Allocation

The weekend's alternative tyre allocation provided an interesting twist to the session, with different teams opting for varied tyre choices. This resulted in a top three that wasn't the most expected but showcased the competitiveness of the field.

Rain on the Horizon

As the session progressed, there were reports of rain in Sector 2, though it was just a few drops at that point. With the weather potentially playing a role in qualifying and the race, teams were keen to gather data on various tyre compounds and fuel runs.

Mercedes and Alfa Romeo on Mediums

Mercedes and Alfa Romeo were among the teams that chose to stick with the medium tyres throughout the session. The decision raised some questions about their strategy, as they are currently not among the top performers. Fans are left wondering whether this is part of a race pace plan or if there's a genuine lack of speed.

Perez's Struggles Continue

Sergio Perez endured a challenging session, flat-spotting his soft tyres and damaging his car in a crash. His recent struggles in qualifying continue, and he'll be looking to improve his performance in the upcoming sessions.

Halfway the session the leaderboard  top 10 order was: 1. Norris (1:17.701 | S), 2. Tsunoda (+0.233s | S), 3. Hulkenberg (+0.357s | S), 4. Alonso (+0.404s | S), 5. Zhou (+0.407s | M), 6. Verstappen (+0.578s | S), 7. Stroll (+618s | S), 8. Albon (0.676s | M), 9. Magnussen (+0.803s | M) and 10. Hamilton (+1.045s | M).

Verstappen's Charge and Upgraded Parts

Max Verstappen remains a dominant force, having won eight out of the ten races this season. Red Bull's upgraded parts add further strength to his performance, and he is undoubtedly the one to watch as the championship unfolds.

Pirelli's New Qualifying Format

Pirelli introduced a new qualifying format, with hard tyres for Q1, mediums for Q2, and softs for Q3. This change led to teams receiving different tyre allocations than usual. How this format will impact tomorrow's qualifying session remains to be seen.

As the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix weekend continues, teams are faced with a variety of challenges and strategies. Charles Leclerc's impressive performance in FP2 indicates that the fight for the top positions will be closely contested. With weather uncertainty and mixed tyre strategies, qualifying promises to be an exciting session as teams aim to secure the best grid positions for Sunday's race.

The quickest sector times were:

1. 27.959 sec. by Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
2. 27.419 sec. by Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. 22.104 sec. by Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

1:18,445 min was the fastest lap time of last year's FP2 in Hungary. It was clocked by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari F1-75.

FP2 Times Table 2023 Hungarian GP

✅ Don't forget to check out our 2023 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix preview info.

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