Racing Bulls enjoyed a promising start to the Hungarian GP weekend, with both drivers showing competitive pace across Friday’s practice sessions of FP1 and FP2. Rookie Isack Hadjar secured top-ten finishes in thos sessions, while Liam Lawson ended the day just outside the top ten, focusing on fine-tuning the balance ahead of qualifying.
Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar delivered one of his strongest Fridays so far, finishing an impressive P5 in FP1 and P8 in FP2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Frenchman looked confident behind the wheel throughout the day, adapting well to the tight and technical layout of the Hungaroring.
Hadjar described the morning session as a strong start, but acknowledged that as the track evolved and top teams began to show their hand in FP2, his position dropped slightly in the order. Even so, he remained inside the top ten and was satisfied with the progress made.
“It was a strong start to the day. In FP2, the top teams started waking up a bit, so we were a little lower down, but still in the top ten,” he said. “I felt great in the car. There are still a few areas where I’m not completely comfortable yet, and the car is still fast, so we know there’s margin to improve.”
Hadjar was realistic about his expectations for Saturday, noting that while Racing Bulls had a solid showing, the teams ahead were likely to raise the bar further in qualifying. The driver also expressed his enjoyment over driving on a track like the Hungaroring.
“It’s a high-downforce track, so it’s a lot of fun to drive. There’s not much straight-line running here, so you’re just constantly working. It’s pure driving.”
Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson described Friday at the Hungaroring as “a little bit tricky,” after finishing just outside the top ten in both practice sessions ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Despite the challenges, the Racing Bulls driver remained upbeat about the car’s potential and the opportunity to move forward with overnight improvements.
Lawson admitted the track itself was demanding but enjoyable, calling it “a very cool” circuit with non-stop action throughout the lap. “We’ve got one more session tomorrow morning, and we’ll try to piece things together.”
While not quite breaking into the top ten, Lawson was close, missing out by just over two tenths in FP1, and a similar margin in FP2. With the midfield looking especially tight, he was optimistic that even small setup changes could make a meaningful difference heading into qualifying.
“It’s very close, as always,” he added. “If we can find some small things, it’ll make a big difference in terms of where we are.”
Racing Bulls will aim to make the most of Saturday’s final practice session following good signs in FP2 at the F1 Hungarian GP. Meanwhile, a strong showing in qualifying could set the tone for a solid weekend in Budapest.
