Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

I think Red Bull could be [in trouble]. Max Verstappen will probably squeeze into Q3 [in qualifying] but it really is looking like it's going to be a squeeze.

Image source, Getty Images

If this was qualifying proper, Yuki Tsunoda would be shown the door in Q1 and Max Verstappen would be eliminated in Q2. The Dutchman's time is 1.24 seconds off the pace of Oscar Piastri, with Ollie Bearman, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, a Haas and two Saubers, all ahead of him on the timesheets.

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Oscar Piastri looked like he maximised sector two massively, it did look flamboyant and well driven.

I think that even though it's so close, I still think Lando Norris has got something left in the pocket.

At the top of the timesheets, Charles Leclerc is now third, four tenths away from Oscar Piastri's quickest marker. Kimi Antonelli is fifth fastest, running that older spec of rear suspension, and is three places higher than Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have parked their Aston Martins sixth and seventh on the board.

"You try to fix the rear and then it ploughs into understeer."

Yuki Tsunoda is being given information by his Red Bull engineer but the Japanese driver is getting more frustrated with every word being uttered. I think the phrase "wake up" was heard on the team radio. Max Verstappen is also an unhappy bunny, flagging balance issues as he sits in 12th place.

Isack Hadjar brings out the double yellows with a big spin at the final corner. The Frenchman screeches to a halt in the Racing Bulls, and the track is clear once again.

The McLaren is a rocket ship, we know this, and Oscar Piastri shows exactly what this car can do by going even quicker on his next qualifying simulation with a 1:14.916. Lewis Hamilton also improves in the Ferrari, so the gap between himself and Piastri is whopping 0.758 seconds.

But now Lando Norris takes a crack at the top time. The Briton completes a mega final sector but it's not enough to beat Piastri. However, the margin is only 0.032 seconds.

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Aston Martin are more competitive than I thought they were going to be coming into this weekend. I know that they've got quite a draggy car, but I didn't expect them to be quite so competitive around here.

"I don't know what's wrong with the traffic, but it's too bad. Like, Norris doesn't know how to let by someone."

Alex Albon, who hasn't bolted on the softs yet and is down in 19th, is on the medium compound but he puts a call in to Williams to say check the floor. The replay shows he had a wide moment at Turn Four and clipped the kerb quite hard.

Over at racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar is trying to stay clam with the volume of cars on track but the Frenchman is failing to keep cool.

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Lewis Hamilton has done a very decent lap. He can produce a scintillating lap time, he can still put it up there.

It's more difficult for him this brake release issue, it's less consistent than Charles Leclerc, but it's nice to see him doing a decent job.

Lando Norris dusts himself off and tries again to topple team-mate Oscar Piastri with his next flying lap on the softs. He can beat Charles Leclerc, but Lewis Hamilton in second and leader Piastri will have to wait. The Briton clocks a 1:16.115, so if this was Q3 he would need to find 0.244 seconds in order to put himself on pole position.

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:15.871

2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.144

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.266

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.331

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.345

How about a Oscar Piastri-Lewis Hamilton front row tomorrow? The Australian drops us into the 1:15s to return to the top of the timesheets on the softs, but slipping into second place is seven-time world champion Hamilton, who's qualifying run on the same rubber rewards him a 1:16.015, which is 0.144 seconds away from Piastri's marker. Maybe Ferrari have solved those Friday balance issues, as his team-mate Charles Leclerc is third.

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Charles Leclerc is really hooked up and dialled in around this track.

For a track Charles Leclerc says is his worst on the calendar, he certainly seems comfortable throwing his Ferrari around it. The Monegasque driver betters Max Verstappen's top marker by 0.065 seconds with a time of 1:16.137 on the softs.

Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, is annoyed with the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda. Traffic is going to be a thorn in some driver's side when Q1 gets going this afternoon.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent at the Hungaroring

Charles Leclerc was P3 in both practice sessions yesterday. He is looking very comfortable and a lot more comfortable than Lewis Hamilton was.

It's a surprise in a way because Hamilton is usually so good around the Hungaroring.

I may have a prediction rethink before qualifying. Max Verstappen flies top of the times with a 1:16.202 on the C5 softs, 0.038 seconds quicker than Oscar Piastri's McLaren.

George Russell put his Mercedes above the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, the Mercedes jumping top of the timesheets ahead of the Monegasque driver. Russell time was 1:16.213 on the softs, but here comes Oscar Piastri, the championship leader beating the Briton's time by 0.072 seconds.

Lando Norris banks his first flyer on a set of softs but he's over four tenths down on his McLaren team-mate and sits fifth. Looks like Norris encountered trafific and dipped a wheel on the green stuff during his push attempt.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

I am going to be really intrigued to see how Ferrari perform in this session because while McLaren look like they are ahead of the pack, Charles Leclerc looked quick yesterday.

I wonder if he is in the running to be best of the rest and to be fighting for that final podium position?