Hungary – Free Practice 2 – Red Bulls Tease Mercedes

The heat at the Hungaroring is becoming tough for the twenty drivers: at the start of the session, it’s 31°C in the air and 53°C on the track. The Pirelli tires will be put to the test; the drivers’ endurance as well, as similar conditions, or even hotter ones, are expected on Saturday and Sunday… unless thunderstorms intervene. The track’s asphalt, resurfaced in different areas, is patchy and could trap some drivers.

The session will take place without the Force India cars. After a spectacular accident this morning, a rollover fortunately without harm for him, Mexican driver Sergio Perez has an afternoon off. His car is not yet repaired. But Force India has also decided to keep Nico Hülkenberg in the pits to thoroughly inspect his car: there is a suspicion that the suspension failure experienced by Perez could also happen on the team’s second car… It’s a black Friday for Force India.

Romain Grosjean is one of the first to leave the pits. Lotus, in financial difficulty with Pirelli, has apparently settled its bills, and the French driver can leave the pits. This does not mean that the atmosphere is at its best in Enstone: Canal + claims that the team’s employees are anxious on this payday.

Mercedes is obviously far removed from such budgetary considerations. The Silver Arrows charge from the start and Lewis Hamilton secures the best time. Ricciardo’s and Kvyat’s Red Bulls appear once again to be in the right rhythm, although the rear end still poses a problem for them. Ricciardo is four-tenths behind Hamilton. The track condition is not yet optimal and there is about a five-tenth difference between this morning and this afternoon. Nico Rosberg, hindered by Pastor Maldonado, cannot set a benchmark time yet.

We see many drivers performing more start simulations than usual in the pits. The new regulations, which will ban most starting aids starting in Belgium in September, are already on everyone’s minds. The Mercedes drivers, who were overtaken right from the start by the Williams at Silverstone, are the most diligent.

After half an hour of the session, Kimi Räikkönen is the first to switch to soft tires. The result is immediate: the fastest time of the weekend so far, a 1’25″134. Nico Rosberg then tops the timesheets with a 1’24″668. His lead is short-lived, however, as Lewis Hamilton sets a time 719 milliseconds faster. The gap is significant between the two rivals for the time being. Nico Rosberg is even overtaken by the two Red Bulls, who seem to be strong contenders for big points this weekend. Adrian Newey, present in the Austrian team’s garage, must appreciate seeing his cars shine on a chassis circuit.

It seems that soft tires are 1.5 to 2 seconds faster than medium tires on a quick lap, and six to nine tenths faster in long stints. The difference, especially on a relatively short circuit, is extremely significant. Race strategies are likely to be lively: will it be necessary to risk doing more laps on soft tires at the risk of quickly losing all grip? Sebastian Vettel might also be surprised by the speed of the soft tires: the German spins in the third sector. He immediately gets back on track. Romain Grosjean, whose Lotus hardly develops anymore, makes a similar error later, also without consequence.

In the aisle of those disappointed by this session, Max Verstappen will undoubtedly be featured: the Dutch driver is stuck in his garage. A problem appears to have arisen with the Renault power unit. The Toro Rosso prodigy therefore has to watch his teammates begin the long stint work through a screen…

Difficulties are certainly piling up for the Viry-Châtillon engine manufacturer: just as his weekend was going perfectly well until now, Daniel Ricciardo sees his Power Unit give out on the straight. The thick smoke billowing from the rear of his car leaves no doubt: the engine is at fault. Fortunately, it’s a worn power unit that Daniel Ricciardo won’t be using this Saturday. He will therefore avoid a penalty. Another piece of good news for Renault comes from the Toro Rosso garage, where Max Verstappen was able to rejoin.

Once the Red Bull is cleared, the session can resume. The teams have just over fifteen minutes left to test tire wear, particularly the soft tires. Sebastian Vettel goes out for the second time this weekend. His teammate Kimi Räikkönen, who is going all out in Hungary, is currently faster. However, the Ferrari struggles against the Red Bulls and, to a lesser extent, the Toro Rossos, which are also fast this Friday (Sainz is 6th). Also noteworthy is the good performance of the McLarens: Button is 11th and Alonso 8th.

The end of this second session provided some insights: the soft tires are much faster and do not seem to wear out extremely quickly. The Red Bulls, sandwiched between the Mercedes, appear to be the potential second force this weekend. Daniel Ricciardo seemed particularly pleased with his pace on long runs. Daniil Kyvat was only 0.35 seconds off Hamilton.

The Silver Arrows remain, of course, the overwhelming favorites for the qualifiers. Lewis Hamilton, who relegated Nico Rosberg, only in 4th place, to more than seven-tenths behind, appears to be particularly in form on a circuit he appreciates. The German will have to work hard on Saturday morning to make up a significant deficit, but the outcome is far from decided…