Sam Bird heard something ‘awful’ from Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari onboard at the Hungarian Grand Prix

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Ferrari emerged as the nearest rival for McLaren in practice for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc, but Lewis Hamilton looked off the pace this Friday.

The papaya pals of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri led the way at the Hungaroring in the first two practice sessions. McLaren ace Norris set the pace from Piastri with a 1:16.052 lap time in FP1, which the 25-year-old lowered to a 1:15.624 in FP2 to pip the 24-year-old’s 1:15.915.

Only McLaren broke into the 1:15s in FP2, with Leclerc finishing Friday with a personal-best time of a 1:16.023 to slot his Ferrari into third place. Hamilton could only manage the sixth-fastest time in FP2 with a 1:16.329, with both Aston Martin drivers producing quicker times.

Aston Martin did not score a single point for the first time in five rounds last weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix. But Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, who skipped FP1 with back pains, showed promise in practice with the fourth and fifth-best times in FP2 at the Hungarian GP.

Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton’s downshifts sounded ‘awful’ in practice for the Hungarian GP

The Hungarian GP is a fairly big round for the Scuderia, as Ferrari have given team boss Fred Vasseur a new contract to lead them into the new regulations. But Hamilton lost three-and-a-half seconds to Norris in the second and third sectors, despite being fastest in sector one.

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Potentially even more worrying for Ferrari after FP2 at the Hungarian GP than Hamilton’s P6 after lapping slower than both Aston Martin racers was that his SF-25 sounded ‘awful’ while downshifting at Turn 12. Sam Bird was quick to note how poor Hamilton’s gearbox sounded.

Bird noted on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 2 (01/08, 16:36): “On a quick lap, he’s done a purple sector one. So, when he does get the braking right, he is still mighty quick. But he’s lost three-and-a-half-tenths in the middle sector.

“Clearly not comfortable, still, with that Turn 6-7 chicane. An extremely clunky, probably B-grade downshifts going into Turn 12. That fourth to third, third to second [gear downshifts] sounded awful going through Turn 12.

“He now comes around Turn 14, and goes sixth-fastest, seven-tenths down after a purple sector one.”

Ferrari are using their Monaco-spec rear wing at the Hungarian GP

McLaren especially showed their advantage over Ferrari through sector two during practice, with Norris and Piastri maximising the MCL39’s potential through the tight-and-twisty turns. Despite him being aggressive on the kerbs at the Turn 6-7 chicane, Hamilton also lost time.

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In fact, the second sector was what ruined Hamilton’s fastest run in FP2, and allowed Stroll and Alonso to beat the Ferrari pilot in the timesheet. The seven-time F1 champion beat the time Norris set through sector one, but he did not improve on his own personal best for S2.

Ferrari are using their Monaco-spec rear wing in Hungary this weekend, which the Scuderia hope can increase the vertical thrust in slow sections like sector two. Also, Ferrari are using a front wing set-up that they hope can combat the SF-25’s chronic understeer this weekend.

Leclerc was able to show more of Ferrari’s potential to emerge as Norris and Piastri’s biggest rival on Friday. But the Scuderia will hope they can help Hamilton to improve his pace to, at the very least, lap faster than the Aston Martin racers of Stroll and Alonso come qualifying.