Hungarian GP, Practice One: Lewis Hamilton ahead of Max Verstappen
Only a tenth between the top three as fighting fit Hamilton tops Practice One; Bottas' session ruined by Mercedes engine issue
Friday 2 August 2019 13:44, UK
Lewis Hamilton enjoyed the perfect start to his Hungarian GP weekend after topping the timesheets in a closely-fought first practice.
Hamilton, who insists he's in "fighting shape" for Budapest after feeling unwell during an error-strewn German GP performance last weekend, set the pace ahead of Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel.
Encouragingly. Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari were split by just 0.166s in the opening session, which was hit by rain early on.
"Hamilton on top at the moment but only by a tenth of a second," said Sky F1's Anthony Davidson. "No one dominating yet, that's what we want to see."
Practice One wasn't trouble-free for any of the top three teams, however.
Lewis Hamilton, a six-time winner at the Hungaroring, had brake issues, while Valtteri Bottas missed almost the entirety of the session and didn't set a time after suffering a misfire on his engine.
Mercedes, who couldn't identify the problem, then didn't complete a Power Unit swap in time for the under-pressure Finn to get back out on track.
"The biggest loser of this session is Bottas," said Sky F1's Paul Di Resta.
Verstappen, meanwhile, complained that the sensitivity of his Red Bull car was "unbelievable" as he spun twice, with team-mate Pierre Gasly finishing fourth, while Charles Leclerc also had a difficult session in the Ferrari.
Leclerc was only sixth in P1 after making mistakes on his best flying laps, 0.9s off the pace and behind Kevin Magnussen in the Haas.
Magnussen's pace was somewhat surprising considering Romain Grosjean, running a different-spec car, insisted something was "wrong" with his car's downforce levels.
Both McLarens finished in the top-10, along with Renault's Nico Hulkenberg and Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen, while George Russell did well in the Williams to place ahead of Lance Stroll.
Sky Sports F1's Hungarian GP schedule
Friday, August 2
1,45pm: Hungarian GP Practice Two Build-up
2pm: Hungarian GP Practice Two
3.50pm: F2 Qualifying
4.30pm: Hungarian GP: Story So Far
Saturday, August 3
7.55am: F3 Qualifying
9am: F2 Race One
10.45am: Hungarian GP Practice Three Build-up
11am: Hungarian GP Practice Three
12.10pm: Paddock Walkabout
1pm: Hungarian GP Qualifying Build-up
2pm: HUNGARIAN GP QUALIFYING
3.30pm: The F1 Show
3.45pm: F3 Race One - Live on Red Button
4pm: F3 Race One
Sunday, August 4
8.55am: F3 Race Two (Simulcast on Sky Sports Main Event)
10.15am: F2 Race Two
10.30pm (Sky One): The F1 Show
11.40am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Hungarian GP: Pit Lane Live
1,30pm: Hungarian GP: On The Grid
2.10pm: THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX LIVE! (Simulcast on Sky Sports Main Event)
4pm: Hungarian GP Paddock Live
5.30pm: Hungarian GP Highlights
6.30pm: Hungarian GP Best Bits
7pm: Hungarian GP Race Rerun
Don't miss the next instalment of F1 2019 at the Hungarian GP this weekend on Sky Sports F1 - the final race before the summer break. Find out how to watch all the 2019 season live.