Lewis Hamilton mentioned his Mercedes felt “at its worst” as he set the Sixteenth-fastest time in Friday follow on the Hungarian Grand Prix.

World champion Max Verstappen, solely eleventh quickest, additionally complained about it.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the tempo on a day that provided few clues as to the true aggressive image.

The so-called ‘different tyre allocation’ reduces the variety of tyre units over a weekend from 13 to 11, adjustments the distribution throughout the three accessible compounds, and forces drivers to make use of laborious tyres in first qualifying, mediums in second and softs within the top-10 shootout.

The concept is to cut back tyre utilization on sustainability grounds.

The end result was that groups ran fewer units of tyres in Friday follow – the Mercedes drivers, for instance, used just one set of medium-compound tyres for all the day.

Hamilton mentioned: “I solely had one tyre. Not likely an ideal format this transformation they made for this weekend.

“It simply means we get much less working. Not perfect. There are quite a lot of moist tyres they throw away each weekend – lots. Perhaps they need to take a look at that somewhat than taking time on monitor away from the followers.”

Verstappen, who ran simply two units of soppy tyres within the second session, mentioned: “We have not used quite a lot of tyre units right this moment. With this new format, you might be super-limited with the tyres you should use, and I did not wish to use them right this moment to have a bit extra of a greater preparation tomorrow.

“It’s kind of of a disgrace. There are such a lot of individuals round and also you mainly do not actually run lots, and we must see what we will do to enhance that as a result of we’re mainly simply saving tyres which isn’t the proper factor.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was simply 0.015 seconds slower than Leclerc in second place general, mentioned that the moist climate within the first session of the day had prevented the concept wanting even worse.

“We had been fortunate it rained in any other case just about no-one would have carried out something in P1,” Norris mentioned.

Hamilton mentioned of his automotive: “It wasn’t feeling good. It was feeling just like the automotive at its worst right this moment, however we are going to work on our set-up tonight.

“Final 12 months it felt horrible at the start and we turned it round and did some set-up adjustments. We are going to work on that tonight and hopefully tomorrow it should really feel higher.”

How does efficiency look?

Verstappen has a serious improve on his Crimson Bull, with a lot narrower cooling openings within the sidepods to allow a extra in depth undercut to extend airflow and downforce, however mentioned it was “laborious to remark” on the automotive’s efficiency due to the restricted working.

“The automotive felt not too unhealthy,” he mentioned. “Appeared fairly aggressive on the long term.”

Verstappen was certainly faster than the Ferraris on the race-simulation runs, with each utilizing the gentle tyre.

McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin used the mediums for his or her lengthy runs, and Norris was quickest, forward of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin and the Mercedes of George Russell and Hamilton.

On headline instances, the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon had been third and fifth quickest, sandwiching Yuki Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri.

Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez, whose day received of to a foul begin with a crash on his first lap of the primary session, completed the day 18th general.

What about Ricciardo’s return?

Daniel Ricciardo, returning to System 1 with Alpha Tauri this weekend, was 14th, 0.451secs slower than his team-mate.

The Australian was the massive focus of the day, after he was drafted in following the sacking of Dutchman Nyck de Vries final week.

Ricciardo drove a gentle session as he set about studying his new automotive, beginning properly over a second behind Tsunoda and edging nearer. He had roughly matched the Japanese driver’s time by the tip of his working on his first set of tyres however Tsunoda moved clear on their qualifying runs on the gentle tyre.

“Positions shouldn’t be too related in the meanwhile,” Ricciardo mentioned. “Right this moment was extra to really feel the place I’m with the automotive. All of it felt fairly acquainted. It felt in a method like I by no means actually left.

“This afternoon, somewhat bit to search out on the brand new tyre however nothing I am involved about. The automotive felt OK.

“A bit extra out of me (on Saturday) and a few issues within the automotive we will try to work on. It seemed like Yuki additionally had a fairly good day so if we will put all of the issues collectively we will do OK.”

Dangerous timing for an additional Perez error

With Ricciardo returning, the very last thing Perez wanted was a troublesome day, however that is what he had after he dropped his exterior wheels on to the grass on his entry to Flip 5 initially of first follow and crashed into the wall.

Perez’s remarks over the radio instantly after the crash – “I can not imagine this” – made it clear that he understood the potential seriousness of the error.

Workforce principal Christian Horner mentioned: “He simply misjudged it. It was only a mistake. You would hear the frustration in his voice.”

Perez’s early-season ambition of difficult team-mate Verstappen for the championship has collapsed as his season has imploded following a sequence of errors.

Ricciardo has mentioned his dream is to go properly sufficient within the Alpha Tauri to once more earn a seat at Crimson Bull.

Perez, who has a Crimson Bull contract for 2024, mentioned on Thursday that Ricciardo’s return “would not change something” for him, insisting that his future was “in my palms”.

Horner has mentioned that he believed Perez’s drawback was that he had been placing an excessive amount of stress on himself, and added after the British Grand Prix that Perez “simply wants a clear weekend”.

That hope is already forlorn in Hungary, though he was considerably lucky that the rain within the first session, which began simply after his accident, meant he didn’t miss out on the educational different drivers would in any other case have had.