Ferrari leads Hungarian GP practice as Pérez faces tough Friday

Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets during practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix, signaling a strong performance from the Italian team at the Hungaroring circuit near Budapest. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, recorded the fastest lap of the day in the second session, ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton's best time was 1 minute, 18.729 seconds over the 4.381-kilometer track. Leclerc was second, 0.148 seconds behind, while Lando Norris of McLaren secured the third fastest time. The session saw most drivers achieving their best laps on soft tires before commencing race simulations.

Sergio Pérez, driving for Cadillac, experienced a challenging Friday, finishing 20th in the second practice session and trailing the fastest time by over three seconds. Meanwhile, Spanish drivers Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) placed 17th and 19th, respectively, also utilizing soft tires.

In other notable performances, Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), the current World Championship leader, finished 13th in the second session on medium compound tires. He was nearly two seconds slower than Hamilton. The session also saw a red flag interruption caused by Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto (Alpine) who lost control of his car in the final corner, damaging the rear of the vehicle but fortunately avoiding major injury.

Ferrari, currently second in the constructors' standings, showed promising pace on the first day of the final Grand Prix before the summer break. The team will be looking to capitalize on this performance as the weekend progresses.