Lewis Hamilton picked up on Friday where he left off in Germany last Sunday by delivering the fastest times for McLaren in both opening free practice sessions ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 26-year-old Briton, who won the world title in 2008, clocked a best lap time of one minute and 21.018 seconds, to top the speed charts and endorse the impression that he has regained top form after winning last weekend’s race at the Nurburgring.
Hamilton wound up fastest ahead of two-times champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari with his McLaren team-mate Briton Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, third fastest. Australian Mark Webber was fourth quickest for Red Bull ahead of his team-mate, defending champion and runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel of Germany with Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari down in sixth.
German Nico Rosberg was seventh just ahead of his Mercedes team-mate and compatriot seven-times champion Michael Schumacher, 42, with Briton Paul Di Resta ninth for Force India ahead of his team-mate German Adrian Sutil. Spaniard Alonso, on his 30th birthday, dominated the early stages of the session with successive fastest times either side of a chart-topping lap from Button. Alonso then broke the 1:22 barrier with a lap in 1:21.259 before Hamilton cut two tenths of a second off that time with half an hour remaining.
