Ok, so what can Max Verstappen pull out of his Red Bull bag on the same tyres?

Not a top marker, unfortunately. Lewis Hamilton stays ahead as the Dutchman goes second quickest with a 1:18.061.

Verstappen doesn't sound too happy on the team radio...

Chris Hartley
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

That run through the final sector from Lando Norris and that run through the final turn in particular, that just breathes confidence doesn't it? It just shows how more confident he is at the moment in the car than he was in the first half of the season.

I tell you what he can do, he can knock Lando Norris off his perch at the top of the timesheets. Lewis Hamilton is the man to beat with a 1:17.811 on the softs.

Mercedes have entered the soft running now, along with Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton has clocked a purple first sector, and a middle sector best time. What can the seven-time world champion do?

Image source, Reuters

Christian Horner is speaking to Sky Sports on the Red Bull pit wall and says the new alternative tyre allocation format is "different, so it's a bit confusing." and adds the trial is "not as clean" as the usual set-up "but it is what it is".

Lando Norris comes out the mediums and goes quickest with a 1:18.082, which is two tenths faster than Fernando Alonso's time on the softs.

Chris Hartley
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

Interestingly track limits doesn't seem to be much of an issue so far this weekend, just looking at stewarding screen, not many messages popping up.

The hard tyres have to be used in Q1 later on, so Alfa Romeo have given Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu some running time on the white rubber.

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Aitken
Former Williams reserve driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

They (Aston Martin) have been quietly working their way back to the podium after such a strong start to the season for Alonso in particular. Lance Stroll as well in recent races had been making some improvements in his performance but the car hadn't been quite as on pace as it was so they would love to be back up there, I'm sure. The midfield battle at the front is very tight so they do need to start getting those big point finishes again.

Fernando Alonso was stuck in the mud down in the 13th place after his first soft run but the Spaniard has brushed off any thoughts of slow third practice and vaulted his Aston Martin up the order to go quickest with a 1:18.350.

The Hungaroring will host the debut of the alternative tyre allocation (ATA), which is a new compound set-up for Saturday's qualifying format.

Teams will be obligated to use only the hard tyre in Q1, the medium rubber in Q2 and the soft tyres for the pole position shootout in Q3.

If qualifying is wet, teams have a free choice of compounds as usual.

Tyre sets will be reduced in Hungary from 13 to 11, with teams given three sets of hards, four mediums and four sets of softs.

We'll see the format used again at the Italian Grand Prix in early September.

Image source, Pirelli Motorsport

Chris: As we are expecting rain during qualifying, saving tyres seems stupid!!

This has thrown a tiny spanner in the works this weekend, Chris...

"Is everything OK with the rear? A bit weird."

Fernando Alonso celebrate his maiden win in Formula 1 with Renault at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2003 but can the two-time world champion repeat the same success 20 years later?

Alonso has completed a quick lap on the soft tyres but he certainly isn't banging on the door of Max Verstappen at the top of the leaderboard. His time is seventh-tenths away from the Dutchman's marker and puts him 13th.

Meanwhile, Verstappen tells his pit wall he just "randomly lost the rear" of the car. A few seconds later, the championship leader has a question for his engineer...

Image source, Getty Images

Rosanna Tennant
5 Live F1 reporter

Pirelli were talking about the soft tyre being operational in a temperature window of around 30-40 degrees yesterday which is already I think 10 degrees cooler to what we are seeing track temperature today.

1, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:18.478 (medium)

2. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) +0.011 (soft)

3. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) +0.066 (soft)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.076 (soft)

5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.080 (medium)

Image source, Reuters

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

The Ferrari has been looking pretty nervy this weekend, it's back to showing some of the bad characteristics that was showing earlier in the year when the drivers were complaining about instability.

Jack Aitken
Former Williams reserve driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

It will be interesting to see if any drivers are going for a double cool down, we will know the tyres get worked particularly hard here in Budapest.

George Russell and Pierre Gasly have been pushed out of the top five as Lando Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri muscle in on the action.

Sorry, folks. Vacate your seats. The Alfa Romeos of Zhou Gunayu and Valtteri Bottas have shot up the timesheets to sit second for Bottas and third for Zhou on the soft tyres.

Bottas is just 0.011secs off the pace of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who set his quickest time on the medium rubber.

Image source, Reuters

Jack Aitken
Former Williams reserve driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

They've (Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri) have been quite closely matched when they've had the upgrades packages matched, so it looks like the young Aussie is taking the fight to his team-mate a bit more.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a shame Nico Hulkenberg has to cover his new bleached hairstyle with his race helmet.

The Haas driver joked on Thursday he was hoping to piggyback on the success of the Barbie movie, which opened yesterday, with his Ken-inspired hair.

Barbie is up against Christopher Nolan's three-hour epic Oppenheimer this weekend at the box office.

Click the left thumb if you're with Hulkenberg and going to see Barbie.

Or hit the right thumb if ready to sit for a long time at Oppenheimer.

Hulkenberg is taking his time this morning. The German has yet to post a time on the board.