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Oscar Piastri’s Friday at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix was an uphill battle from the start. Forced to sit out Free Practice 1 to fulfill McLaren’s mandatory rookie running requirements, the Australian had just one hour to get up to speed on a highly inconsistent, freshly resurfaced track.
Despite finishing FP2 down in eighth place—nearly 1.4 seconds off the leading pace set by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton—Piastri remains highly optimistic about McLaren’s potential this weekend.
Jumping into the MCL40 for FP2, Piastri inherited a tricky situation from reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli, who had driven the car during the opening hour.
Nov 21, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; McLaren driver Oscar Piastri (81) reacts after qualifying fifth for the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The Hungaroring proved incredibly difficult to tame, characterized by severe gusts of wind and a bizarrely inconsistent track surface where new patches of tarmac were already wearing away. Adding to the frustration, Piastri’s initial qualifying simulation was completely derailed when Alpine’s Franco Colapinto spun backwards into the final corner barriers, triggering a red flag.
“Very, very challenging for sure,” Piastri explained to the media. “I think the track conditions are pretty challenging out there. Very windy… obviously missing a practice session has made it pretty tough”.
While the timesheets looked grim for Piastri, there is a massive caveat to his Friday pace: he wasn’t driving the fully upgraded car.
McLaren arrived in Budapest with a raft of updates, including a heavily revised floor designed to improve corner entry stability. However, the team ran a split strategy on Friday, outfitting Lando Norris with the new spec while Piastri ran the legacy floor for direct data comparison. Norris utilized the new aero package to secure P3 in FP2, less than half a second behind the dominant Ferraris.
Piastri confirmed that the data looks promising and that he will receive the updated parts for Saturday’s sessions.
“I think on Lando’s car they’ve been working as expected, which is good,” he noted.
While he admits that Ferrari is currently the team to beat, Piastri believes a clean lap on the new floor could easily put him in contention at the sharp end of the grid. “I think if we execute a good day, it seems like there can be a lot up for grabs,” he concluded.
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Despite finishing FP2 down in eighth place—nearly 1.4 seconds off the leading pace set by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton—Piastri remains highly optimistic about McLaren’s potential this weekend.
Jumping into the MCL40 for FP2, Piastri inherited a tricky situation from reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli, who had driven the car during the opening hour.
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Nov 21, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; McLaren driver Oscar Piastri (81) reacts after qualifying fifth for the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The Hungaroring proved incredibly difficult to tame, characterized by severe gusts of wind and a bizarrely inconsistent track surface where new patches of tarmac were already wearing away. Adding to the frustration, Piastri’s initial qualifying simulation was completely derailed when Alpine’s Franco Colapinto spun backwards into the final corner barriers, triggering a red flag.
“Very, very challenging for sure,” Piastri explained to the media. “I think the track conditions are pretty challenging out there. Very windy… obviously missing a practice session has made it pretty tough”.
McLaren’s Split Strategy Brings Hope for Saturday
While the timesheets looked grim for Piastri, there is a massive caveat to his Friday pace: he wasn’t driving the fully upgraded car.
McLaren arrived in Budapest with a raft of updates, including a heavily revised floor designed to improve corner entry stability. However, the team ran a split strategy on Friday, outfitting Lando Norris with the new spec while Piastri ran the legacy floor for direct data comparison. Norris utilized the new aero package to secure P3 in FP2, less than half a second behind the dominant Ferraris.
Piastri confirmed that the data looks promising and that he will receive the updated parts for Saturday’s sessions.
“I think on Lando’s car they’ve been working as expected, which is good,” he noted.
While he admits that Ferrari is currently the team to beat, Piastri believes a clean lap on the new floor could easily put him in contention at the sharp end of the grid. “I think if we execute a good day, it seems like there can be a lot up for grabs,” he concluded.
Continue reading...
