Hungarian GP FP1: Aston Martin upgrades and rookie drivers headline opening session

The 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend gets underway at the Hungaroring with a packed FP1 session that blends significant technical upgrades with an unusual number of rookie drivers getting their chance to shine.

Why it matters:

With the summer break approaching, teams are rushing to get final upgrades logged before the August shutdown stalls development. Aston Martin's long-awaited chassis package finally hits the track as the team searches for a way out of the constructors' basement, while Ferrari and McLaren have also brought tweaks to maintain momentum into the second half.

The details:

• Aston Martin is the center of attention with a major chassis upgrade months in the making. A power unit step is still scheduled after the summer break, so the full package remains incomplete.
• Ferrari and McLaren have both indicated they are bringing updates this weekend as they continue refining their 2026 challengers.
• Rookie rotation: Four drivers are stepping in for FP1. Paul Aron drives for Alpine, Ryo Hirakawa takes over at Haas, Leonardo Fornaroli gets a run with McLaren, and Colton Herta makes a rare appearance for Cadillac.
• The session runs for 60 minutes around the tight, technical Hungaroring, where setup work on mechanical grip and tire management immediately comes into focus.

What's next:

Engineers will spend the opening hour correlating data with on-track performance while giving rookies valuable mileage. Aston Martin in particular needs a clean session to establish whether their chassis revisions can provide a platform for recovery after the summer break.