🏎Hamilton fastest, but it’s tight at the top in Hungary

Another intriguing Grand Prix Friday in Budapest, with the big three teams appearing closely matched before the weather influenced the practice running in the afternoon. Lewis Hamilton was fastest on the day for Mercedes, 0.165s ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, those two separated by just a thousandth in the morning. Valtteri Bottas’s miserable run continued with an engine issue in FP1, while Pierre Gasly took his chance on soft tyres to top FP2 before the rain arrived in the afternoon. Meantime, talk off track was dominated by the 2020 calendar, which could have a record-breaking 22 races. And, for 2021, it looks like we’ll be stretching out to 24! Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief [motorsport.com]( E D I T O R ' S C H O I C E [Hungarian GP: Hamilton tops FP1 as Bottas hits trouble]( Lewis Hamilton set the pace in opening practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix while Mercedes Formula 1 teammate Valtteri Bottas failed to post a time after an engine problem. E D D S T R A W [Hungarian GP: Gasly quickest before rain hits FP2]( Red Bull driver Pierre Gasly topped the second Formula 1 free practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time before the rain came. S C O T T M I T C H E L L [Revealed: Ricciardo's defence against £10m claim]( Renault Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo's representatives have laid out an emphatic defence against a claim of more than £10million from his former advisor, Motorsport.com can reveal. J O N A T H A N N O B L E [F1's mooted 22-race calendar could hinge on engine life]( Formula 1's expansion to a record-breaking 22 races in 2020 could rest on whether or not manufacturers think they can complete the season without an extra power unit. G I O R G I O P I O L A [Hungarian GP: Latest F1 tech updates, straight from pitlane]( Giorgio Piola and Sutton Images bring you the Formula 1 technical updates on show in the Budapest pitlane at the Hungarian Grand Prix, giving insight into the relentless development undertaken by the teams in pursuit of more performance. J O N A T H A N N O B L E [Allowing extra F1 engine for one more race "wrong" - Binotto]( Liberty Media's push to expand the Formula 1 calendar to 24 races from 2021 means it would be "wrong" to allow an extra engine next year for just one more race, reckons Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto. S C O T T M I T C H E L L [Ferrari says fine was "proper" punishment for unsafe release]( Ferrari Formula 1 boss Mattia Binotto believes his team's fine for Charles Leclerc's unsafe release last week was the "proper" punishment, despite the FIA's acceptance harsher deterrents are required. J A M I E K L E I N [Brno MotoGP: Quartararo edges Marquez in FP2]( Fabio Quartararo shaded reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez to top Friday afternoon's second practice session for this weekend's Czech Grand Prix at Brno. Copyright © 2019 Motorsport.com, Inc., All rights reserved. Top news of the week. Our mailing address is: Motorsport.com, Inc. 5972 NE 4th AvenueMiami, FL 33137 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © MOTORSPORT NETWORK. All rights reserved.