McLaren driver swap, upgrades impact Hungarian GP practice

Oscar Piastri missed Friday’s first free‑practice (FP1) at the Hungarian Grand Prix, handing his McLaren MCL40 to rookie Leonardo Fornaroli under the FIA’s rookie‑driver rule. Fornaroli completed 29 laps, set a best time of 1′21.890 and praised the team’s new “Macarena” rear wing, saying he was “ready for F1”.

Piastri returned for FP2 without the latest aerodynamic package, finishing eighth, nine tenths behind teammate Lando Norris who led the session. He described the conditions as “very tough”, citing strong wind and a newly resurfaced, low‑grip track. McLaren’s senior director Randy Singh confirmed the new components performed as expected on Norris’s car, while Piastri ran the older floor to enable a direct comparison.

Ferrari topped the practice times with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, while Red Bull and Mercedes were further down the order. The session highlighted McLaren’s ongoing development battle and set the stage for qualifying at the challenging Hungaroring.