Aston Martin upgrade fails as Ferrari leads Hungarian GP practice
A major upgrade package introduced by Aston Martin suffered an immediate suspension failure during Hungarian Grand Prix practice, complicating the automaker's technical turnaround under Adrian Newey.
Lance Stroll spun his Aston Martin and brought a red flag to the opening practice session after the team's heavily upgraded car suffered a suspected rear left suspension failure. A team spokesperson confirmed the issue, stating that "Lance had to stop the car due to a suspected rear left suspension issue." The failure is a notable setback for the British manufacturer, which is counting on the new design to reverse its competitive fortunes.
Despite the breakdown, teammate Fernando Alonso returned to the track to post the 13th-fastest time. Alonso finished 2.5 seconds behind the session leader, but the pace marked a slight improvement over the team's usual performance this season. The team is expected to provide more details later in the day when chief technical officer Adrian Newey speaks to the media.
Ferrari set the early pace in Hungary, with Charles Leclerc leading the session by nearly half a second. However, the Italian team's strong showing ended on a worrying note when Leclerc reported over the radio that "something broke" on his car. He managed to limp into the pit lane but stopped before reaching the garage, with early indications pointing to a gearbox problem.
Lewis Hamilton had a difficult session in the second Ferrari, finishing half a second behind Leclerc while complaining about his gear shifts. Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, but his session was also marred by an impending stewards' investigation for erratic driving.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz faces two separate investigations for erratic driving after a massive lock-up into the first corner and a later incident at Turn 9. Sainz's second incident involved a frustrated reaction after being held up by Alpine rookie Paul Aron.
Mercedes used the session to fulfill its regulatory obligation to run young drivers, sacrificing valuable practice time for its regular lineup. Fred Vesti finished seventh in the Mercedes, just four tenths of a second behind his regular teammate George Russell. Russell ended the session fifth, almost a full second off Leclerc's leading pace.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli sat out the session entirely but will return for the second practice later this afternoon. Other European teams took similar gambles with their data collection, with McLaren putting rookie Leonardo Fornaroli in its car. Fornaroli ended up 16th after locking up and going straight on at the first corner.
