FP2 LIVE | The second free practice for the 2023 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix

The second free practice session for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix near Budapest is about to get underway. Rain is almost certain to fall during FP2 at the Hungaroring, so teams and drivers might struggle to complete accurate race simulations in the second half of the 60-minute session. You can follow all of the action in what might be a chaotic hour in Hungary, in our live blog below.

FP2 LIVE | Second practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix

Should Red Bull Racing win the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, they will beat the record set for the most consecutive Grands Prix victories in the sport's history. Red Bull Racing have won every race since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November 2022. If either Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez win this weekend, they will beat McLaren's run of 11 wins in 1988.

Christian Horner's team are the favourites again this weekend. Equipped with some upgrades, they've already proved they can adapt their car to twisty circuits like the Hungaroring. Following some upgrades, McLaren have been in the mix for the podium places in recent races and will do everything they can to stop their record from being taken. George Russell secured pole position in Hungary last year, giving himself and Lewis Hamilton some hope at Mercedes. Aston Martin and Ferrari will also be pushing to improve.

What will happen during FP2?

FP2 usually gives us a more detailed picture of what to expect for the rest of the weekend. This is because the teams usually split the session into two parts. First, drivers push hard on low fuel to test their set-up for qualifying. In the second half of the session, teams add fuel to the cars and see how they perform on longer stints. This may still happen, but with rain forecast, we're unlikely to see useful data that will correlate with the conditions forecast for Sunday. You can view the full weather forecast here.

Teams and drivers will get one more hour on Saturday morning to perfect their set-up. They will then head into qualifying, forming the grid for Sunday's main event. On Sunday afternoon, drivers will compete in the Hungarian Grand Prix. To view the session times, click here.

The history of the Hungarian Grand Prix

The Hungarian Grand Prix was the first event for Formula 1 behind the Iron Curtain. It was originally going to be a street circuit, but the government built a new one just outside Budapest. Construction started just eight months before the first Grand Prix in 1986.

Ayrton Senna secured the very first pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He and Nelson Piquet battled for the win, and the latter was in the lead when the chequered flag dropped. Nigel Mansell joined them on the podium. With the race being a permanent fixture since the mid-80s, all of the big names have raced at the venue.

Recent Hungarian Grand Prix history

Michael Schumacher took his first Hungarian pole position in 1994 and won the race. On the same day, Jos Verstappen secured his first of two podiums in Formula 1. Schumacher became World Champion at the venue in 2001 despite it being just the 13th event on the calendar (out of 17). Ferrari became Constructors Champions when Rubens Barrichello led a one-two in 2002.

Fernando Alonso secured his first F1 career victory at the circuit in 2003. Jenson Button achieved the same statistic in a wet 2006 race. Lewis Hamilton achieved the first of his eight wins in Hungary during the 2007 season. He would dominate proceedings for the best part of the next 15 years.

In 2019, Max Verstappen achieved his first career pole position, though he wasn't fast enough to keep Mercedes' Hamilton behind him on Sunday. Esteban Ocon took a surprise victory in 2021 in a red-flag and rain-affected race. Last time out, George Russell achieved his first career pole position, with Verstappen winning on Sunday. Red Bull are favourites to win again this weekend.