Vandoorne pips Leclerc mid-day in Budapest

McLaren-Honda’s Stoffel Vandoorne emerged as the fastest runner mid-day at the Budapest in-season F1 test.

The Belgian clocked in with 34 laps under his belt and a 1:18.370 to top the timesheet but parked his MCL32 on the track in the dying stages of the session before the lunch-break.

Vandoorne edged out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by just 0.093s. The young Frenchman, driving a new-spec car for the first time in his career, endured a spin early on but consistently improved his pace, even topping the timesheet at one point with a 1:18.463.

Behind Leclerc, Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas was the morning’s marathon man, putting in 71 laps as he undertook development work for Pirelli.

GP3 star George Russell was also in action for the Silver Arrows outfit, accumulating 54 laps to end sixth fastest and 1.823s adrift from Vandoorne’s fastest time.

Toro Rosso’s Sean Gelael and Sauber’s Gustav Malja rounded off the timesheet, with the former causing a lengthy red flag in the session when his car stooped out on the track.

 

 

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