Russell’s Ferrari Fear Comes True as Scuderia Sets the Pace in Budapest

Ferrari’s early advantage alarms Russell

George Russell believes the concern he had about Ferrari before the Hungarian Grand Prix has already been confirmed, after the Scuderia delivered the most convincing performance of Friday practice at the Hungaroring.

The Mercedes driver ended both opening sessions fifth fastest, but the headline was not Russell’s own position. It was Ferrari’s advantage at the front. He finished one second behind Charles Leclerc in FP1, then made only limited progress in the second session, ending nine-tenths slower than Lewis Hamilton.

That gap leaves Mercedes with work to do on single-lap performance, even though Russell found some encouragement in the longer runs. His comments also underline the contrast between Ferrari’s immediate pace and Mercedes’ more competitive race simulations.

“Our single lap didn't look great,” Russell said after FP2. “The long run looked more competitive, but what I guess we potentially feared with Ferrari seemed to be the case; they look very, very strong.”

A difficult Hungaroring surface

The performance picture was complicated by an unexpectedly difficult track. Parts of the Hungaroring have been resurfaced, creating a low-grip and slippery asphalt that several drivers struggled to manage. Russell identified the final two corners as a particular problem, with the surface described as both bumpy and unstable under the cars.

“It was quite a strange day out there, I think, for everybody,” he explained. “Budapest is an amazing track to drive, but they've resurfaced half of the track; super bumpy.”

He added that sections of the track were “breaking up around the last couple of corners,” making the circuit unusually difficult to drive. Drivers experienced repeated snaps of oversteer, including Hamilton, while Franco Colapinto’s heavy Alpine crash brought the session to a halt. Colapinto’s FP2 crash added to a dramatic day in Budapest.

Mercedes faces a qualifying challenge

Russell’s fifth-place classification therefore needs to be read alongside the sizeable Ferrari gaps. While the long-run data offered Mercedes a more positive indication, the single-lap deficit remains the clearest warning ahead of the rest of the weekend.

For Ferrari, meanwhile, the opening sessions provided exactly the kind of evidence that can turn pre-event concerns into genuine expectation. Russell’s fear has not been dismissed by the first day of running; it has been reinforced by the timing screens.