Lando Norris showcased his prowess at the Hungaroring by narrowly outpacing his championship rival Oscar Piastri in the opening practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Norris, who trails Piastri by 16 points in the championship standings, clocked a lap time just 0.019 seconds faster than Piastri, signaling his intent for the weekend.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured the third spot, finishing two-tenths off the pace, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled, ending up four-tenths behind Leclerc. Hamilton, who holds a record eight wins and nine pole positions in Hungary, expressed dissatisfaction with his car's performance, citing it didn't 'feel good'.

Isack Hadjar of RB managed to split the Ferrari duo, finishing fourth, with British rookie Ollie Bearman of Haas taking sixth. George Russell and Max Verstappen rounded out the top eight, with Verstappen recently quashing rumors of a potential departure from Red Bull.

Norris' performance at the Hungaroring is particularly noteworthy as he has never been out-qualified by a teammate in his six previous visits. The British driver has declared the circuit one of his favorites on the calendar, and his early advantage could be pivotal in the championship race.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli showed signs of improvement, finishing seventh, just ahead of teammate Russell. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso was absent from the first practice session due to a back injury, leaving Aston Martin to assess his fitness for the remainder of the weekend.

The stage is set for an electrifying race as Norris and Piastri continue their fierce rivalry, with the Hungarian Grand Prix marking the final race before the summer break.