Hungarian GP FP2: Leclerc tops time-sheets ahead of Norris.

Leclerc Hungarian GP FP2 – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fastest in the FP2 session at the Hungarian GP and narrowly ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris who was second and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who rounded out the top three.

Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, SF-23, Free Practice 2, Formula 1 Qatar Airways Hungarian Grand Prix 2023, Hungaroring, Mogyorod, Budapest, Hungary. Image credit to Francois Nel/Getty Images. Leclerc Hungarian GP FP2, 2023 Hungarian GP FP2, F1 Hungarian GP FP2, Hungarian GP FP2 Results, Formula 1 Hungarian FP2 Results.

Leclerc posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:17.686 on the C5 red side-walled softer compound and was a very narrow 0.015 seconds quicker than second-placed Norris with Gasly a further 0.232 seconds off the Ferrari driver in third.

Compared to the two red-flag periods and wet weather that interrupted the earlier Free Practice 1 session, FP2 was run in the dry despite earlier threats of more rainfall.

The Williams Racing pairing of Logan Sargeant and Alexander Albon kicked off the session with times set in the mid 1:19’s with the former ahead of the latter, but the two were immediately trounced by McLaren’s Lando Norris who posted a 1:19.044 as the pack made up for lost time due to the rain-soaked FP1.

Sargeant reclaimed top spot once again with a 1:18.836, although the Williams FW45 was fitted with softer rubber in the early proceedings against the majority who were using the C4 mediums.

The American remained on top for the next 15 minutes as the pack continued their stints on the mediums, and a lap on the softs from FP1 shunter Sergio Perez, was not enough to beat the Williams driver from his P1 slot.

Championship leader Max Verstappen’s initial hot-lap on the softs was much closer, only 0.075 seconds off Sargeant’s effort. Instead, it was Albon who managed to knock his Williams team-mate off the top spot, having set a 1:18.377 on his set of C4 medium compounds.

Albon’s time at the top did not last long as the soft tyre stints began to pick up; Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg momentarily held the top of the time-sheets before AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda jumped his way to P1 on a 1:17.934.

A 1:17.701 effort from Norris using the softs put him ahead of the Japanese driver, where he remained as the session reached the mid-way point. The Briton’s time withstood the threat from Alpine’s Gasly, but then Leclerc pushed his way to the top of the classification posting a 1:17.686 – a very narrow 0.015 seconds quicker than Norris.

Further efforts from Red Bull did not see any improvements from the Milton Keynes based-squad, although Verstappen had continued on the same set of softs in the opening 45 minutes of proceedings. Perez on the medium tyres, was unable to improve before he returned to the pits.

The rest of the field settled into their traditional long race data gathering runs in their efforts to focus on Sunday’s Grand Prix, with no further improvements in lap-times as the drivers pushed their reduced tyre allocation levels to their limits.

Norris could not jump Leclerc towards the end of FP2, as Alpine’s Gasly rounded out the top three over former team-mate Yuki Tsunoda who placed fourth for AlphaTauri.

The other Alpine A523 entry of Esteban Ocon was fifth in the order, although his Anglo-French based-outfit released him into the path of Leclerc’s SF-23 entry.

Hulkenberg came sixth in the classification and ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas who took seventh and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who was eighth.

Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completed the top ten.

Reigning world champion Verstappen was outside the top ten in 11th place for Red Bull and in-front of Aston Martin’s Stroll who placed 12th, Williams Racing’s Albon who was 13th and in-front of AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo who ended FP2 in 14th.

Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen took 15th and ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton who finished the day in 16th and Williams Racing’s Sargeant who came 17th in the order.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ended the session in a low-18th and in-front of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell who brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Qatar Airways Hungarian Grand Prix 2023 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1215/hungary/practice-2.html

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