Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets as Ferrari made an encouraging start to the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, with Lewis Hamilton finishing third in the opening practice session at the Hungaroring.

Leclerc set the fastest lap of the session with a 1:19.075, finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Hamilton was third with a 1:19.618. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar continued his impressive form in fourth, with Mercedes’ George Russell completing the top five.

Ferrari arrived in Budapest with an updated rear wing package introduced as part of the team’s ongoing development programme, and the early signs suggested the revisions are working as intended.

Both SF-26s began the session on medium tyres while evaluating two different rear wing configurations. Leclerc’s car featured an additional central aerodynamic element as the team compared the latest specifications before switching both drivers onto the soft compound.

Leclerc immediately climbed to the top of the timesheets with his session-best lap, while Hamilton recorded a 1:19.618 before the running was briefly halted when Lance Stroll stopped on track, bringing out the red flags.

The final part of the session focused on race preparation. Leclerc completed 19 laps before parking his Ferrari in the pit lane with a technical issue, while Hamilton continued on a heavier fuel load using the medium compound, completing 23 laps.

The encouraging start comes after Ferrari has steadily closed the gap to the front over recent race weekends.

“We’ve brought a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together and now we arrive here with a great package,” Hamilton said during Thursday’s media day. “We’ve developed well as a team and we’re moving in the right direction.”

Despite Ferrari’s recent progress, the seven-time world champion remained focused on extracting the maximum from the weekend rather than looking ahead.

“Every weekend the goal is simply to maximise what we have. We were closer to the front than we expected at two circuits where we thought we’d struggle, which is really encouraging. Over the last few races, we’ve shown good consistency and we just have to keep extracting everything from each weekend.

“I’m not thinking about the championship or the races to come. My focus is simply on this weekend and understanding how we can maximise our performance here.”

Hamilton also highlighted why the Hungaroring remains one of his favourite circuits.

“It’s a circuit that demands late braking and a lot of combined braking towards the apex. It’s quite go-kart-esque in a Formula 1 car and I really love driving here. I think the more you love a track, the better you tend to perform.”

Leclerc echoed his teammate’s optimism, while stressing that execution remains the biggest factor.

“I think we’ve executed the last two weekends very well and managed to optimise every bit of performance from the car. That’s been the most important thing,” he said.

“Our strength is probably the balance and grip we have through the corners, which is important at a circuit like this. We might be a little bit closer, but at the end of the day it’s all about the execution.

“There’s always noise around the team, but we have to put all our energy into what matters most, and with these cars preparation is absolutely crucial.”

Leclerc also explained why close collaboration between drivers and engineers has become increasingly important under Formula 1’s current regulations.

“There are so many different variables that you have to keep a very open mind. Understanding where the performance comes from is much more complex than it used to be, which is why the work done with the engineers and everyone back at the factory is so important.”

Behind the leading quartet, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto finished sixth ahead of Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti, who was taking part in the opening practice session in place of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Nico Hülkenberg, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.