Norris, Piastri clock fastest times for 3rd Hungarian GP practice

BUDAPEST (AP) — McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topped the time charts of the third practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Points leader Max Verstappen was third in his Red Bull, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton had a slip when he spun his Mercedes around in the middle of the track. He only managed the 10th best time.

The Hungarian GP marks the start of the second half of the season. Qualifying is later on Saturday for Sunday’s race.

Verstappen is trying to claim a fourth straight Formula One title. The Dutchman leads the driver’s race with 255 points, with Norris in second with 171.

But McLaren and Mercedes have closed the gap with Red Bull in recent races. Hamilton and Russell have won the last two races, while Norris has shown he has the speed to match Verstappen.

Norris also had the fastest car on Friday under extremely hot track conditions of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Skies were overcast on Saturday and kept temperatures down at 40 C.

Ferrari is also trying to get over a recent dip in form after both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both won races early in the year.

Hamilton took pole here last year while Russell did so in 2022. But Verstappen went on to win both races, including overcoming a 10th-place grid start two years ago.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing