Carlos Sainz topped first practice from Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as Ferrari boosted their hopes of a return to contention at the front of the grid.
Sainz's team-mate Charles Leclerc was third as Ferrari appeared to reap the rewards of a reworking of the SF-24's floor, with the characteristics of the Hungaroring also perhaps suiting the Italian squad's car. Red Bull were also debuting major upgrades to the RB20, which showed promise as world championship leader Verstappen was able to maintain a strong pace later into his running on soft tyres that appeared to be degrading at a faster rate for his rivals.
While the result was hugely encouraging for Ferrari, practice timesheets must be viewed cautiously given the different fuel loads and power levels teams are running. There is also the fact that Hungary is a track better suited to the Ferrari, so even a strong weekend here wouldn't ensure the same level of competitiveness would remain next weekend at the final race before the sport's summer break in Belgium.
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