Free 1: McLaren fastest during the opening session in Budapest

The McLaren duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have ended the opening practice session 1st and 2nd respectively ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, as the Woking-based outfit continue to progress with their new upgrades which were introduced last weekend in Germany.

The opening session of the weekend was run in glorious sunshine and hot temperatures, a stark contrast to the weather conditions experienced during the last two race weekends at Hockenheim and Silverstone. Once again, the three usual reserve drivers of Jules Bianchi [Force India], Valtteri Bottas [Williams] and Dani Clos [HRT] took to the track, replacing their respective team-mates.

Jean-Eric Vergne became the first driver to take to the Hungaroring as the session got underway, with the usual installation laps being completed by the majority of the field. The Caterham of Heikki Kovalainen became the first driver to set a timed lap, roughly 21 minutes into the session with a 01:29.977. The Finn improved on his initial time, eventually getting his time down to a 01:27.345. With many drivers once again taking to the track, fellow Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen shot to the top with a 01:25.117.

The Lotus driver, who has yet to win a race this season, was then warned of serious engine cooling problems over the radio. However, these issues were rectified as the session progressed with the Enstone-based outfit once again testing the double-DRS device on Raikkonen’s car.

With the field gradually getting to grips with the tight and twisty nature of the Hungaroring, Jenson Button rose to the top with a 01:24.137. This time was almost instantly bettered by Lewis Hamilton, as the 2008 World Champion set a 01:23.941. The Briton, who suffered a highly unsuccessful race last time out in Germany, continued to assert his authority at the top as the session progressed, eventually setting a 01:22.821. This time would remain unbeaten at the top, with McLaren striving for yet another competitive race weekend.

Pastor Maldonado had a big moment during the closing stages of the session, as the Spanish Grand Prix winner narrowly avoided the rear of Kovalainen’s Caterham. The Venezuelan driver, who took drastic avoiding action, skipped through the gravel at turn 10 and eventually rejoined the circuit.

With the drivers frantically pushing to learn the limits of the Hungaroring, many drivers were seen running wide at turns 12 and 4 in particular. The Formula 1 cars will return to the track later this afternoon, as they continue to prepare for Sunday’s 70-lap race.

Follow me on Twitter -
@AndyYoungF1