Alonso Back for FP2
Felipe Drugovich made a surprise appearance on track during the first practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix, temporarily stepping in for Fernando Alonso. The Spanish driver is still recovering from a minor back injury sustained during the previous round in Spa. The Aston Martin team quickly adapted his seat to improve comfort, allowing Alonso to return to the cockpit of the AMR25 for the second session.
Lance Stroll completed both Friday practice sessions and expressed satisfaction with how the race weekend began.
Lance Stroll (4th): "It’s always a pleasure to return to Hungary – this is one of my favourite circuits. Today, our pace looked encouraging, and the car felt well-balanced and predictable. I was pleased with the handling in both sessions. It’s a positive start to the weekend, but as is usually the case on Fridays, it's difficult to gauge where we stand relative to the competition. We'll get a clearer picture in qualifying."
Fernando Alonso (5th): "Following Spa, I experienced some minor back discomfort, but the situation is under control. The team responded quickly and made the necessary adjustments, which allowed me to drive pain-free in the second session – that was a good sign. Although I missed FP1, the car performed reasonably well. The balance is not yet ideal, but we’ll analyse the data this evening and look to make improvements for tomorrow."
Felipe Drugovich (16th in FP1): "It was great to be back behind the wheel of the AMR25 – I felt confident, and the car handled well. I found out only this morning that I would be taking part in the first session, so there was little time to prepare. I reviewed a few onboard laps and fortunately had done some simulator work earlier as part of my duties as a reserve driver this weekend. We completed the full run plan, which was the priority. It was a valuable opportunity to gain experience and contribute to the team."
