Charles Leclerc finished P3 in free practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Hamilton struggled with the balance of his Ferrari. What will be the fate of the Scuderia this weekend?

Leclerc is excited about fighting at the top... although he acknowledges that McLaren is strong.

After a solid podium finish in Belgium, Leclerc once again stood out in Friday's practice sessions, finishing third in both sessions, just behind the McLarens of Norris and Piastri. Although he acknowledges that catching up with them in qualifying will be difficult, the Monegasque driver was optimistic about the car's performance.When asked if Ferrari can beat McLaren, Leclerc was cautious:

“For now it looks like it’s our position, and realistically I think it’s going to be very tough to go and beat the McLarens tomorrow – they seem to be a step forward, but never say never".

Hamilton: frustration with setup and balance issues

In contrast, Lewis Hamilton did not get off to the start he had hoped for in Hungary. He finished fifth and sixth in practice, but the most worrying thing was the lack of balance in his car.
Although he was willing to continue working with his engineers to turn the situation around, Hamilton was honest in ruling out high hopes for qualifying:

“It’s just far from being on rails and very out of balance. But I think it’s probably something to do with maybe tyre temperatures or something, so we’re going to try to figure that out for tomorrow.”

Ferrari, between two sides

The Scuderia is currently undergoing a period of adjustment. On the one hand, it has a motivated Leclerc, who is beginning to find his rhythm and consistency. On the other, it has Hamilton, who is still trying to adapt to a car that is far from ideal. All this while McLaren threatens to establish itself as the new rival to beat.