Championship leader Sebastian Vettel says he is expecting a “very close” battle at the front of the field at the Hungarian Grand Prix, on the evidence of Friday’s practice sessions.
Daniel Ricciardo led the way during both 90-minute sessions, in which drivers from Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes shared the top three positions.
Vettel finished second to Ricciardo at the conclusion of Friday’s running, while less than half a second covered the top six, with all bar Lewis Hamilton setting their best times on Supersofts.
“I think it looks very close,” said Vettel, chasing a first victory since May’s Monaco Grand Prix.
"It's always difficult [to know] what to expect, because Friday is always a different story.
“But it should be close, so it should be good fun.”
Vettel finished as the slowest of the leading six drivers during the first practice session, over a second down on Ricciardo, having also spun through Turn 9.
He explained that Ferrari made gains in terms of set-up between the two sessions, and believes the squad has discovered the right direction for the remainder of the weekend.
“This morning I didn't really get into rhythm, but this afternoon was better,” Vettel commented.
“We tried to play around a little bit with the car, with the set-up, and we tried some things which I think gave us a direction, so we should know what to do for tomorrow.”
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