Verstappen: It will be hard to beat the Ferraris

Verstappen ended FP1 second fastest behind Carlos Sainz, but was only fourth fastest in FP2, almost three tenths off the pace of Charles Leclerc who was fastest in the second practice.

The reigning Formula 1 Champion repeatedly said that he expected Ferrari to be super competitive in Hungary, and the Reds' pace on Friday confirmed his fears.

"As expected, it was a bit tricky around here today," Verstappen said after practice. "We were trying to find the right balance from high to low speed, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't – there's a bit of work to do.

"I think the Ferraris will be ahead of us this weekend and it will be hard to beat them," he lamented. "We'll work hard overnight and try and close that gap as much as we can.

"The weather looks like it will have an impact on us tomorrow. In the dry we might struggle to compete, but it could be a different story in the rain; who knows, we will see tomorrow," the Dutchman concluded.

Sergio Perez's struggles from France carried on to Hungary, as he finished the second practice session ninth fastest, almost one second off the pace.

Perez reflected on his Friday in Budapest, he said: "We were trying various bits to get comfortable with the car today and I think we have got a good idea and understanding of things, so hopefully tomorrow we will be able to show what we have learned.

"That should transfer to both high and low fuel pace and I am fairly optimistic for the weekend, but the Ferraris certainly look very strong.

"They are very fast but rain tomorrow could mix things up a bit and we can be up there with them," the Mexican said of the expected rainfall.

"We must put everything together tomorrow for qualifying and I am looking forward to it," he insisted.