However, Leclerc was only 15/1000th ahead of Britain's Lando Norris (McLaren) in the 2nd session which took place in the dry. Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine) was 3rd at just over two tenths.
The disappointment came from the Red Bulls, who have won every race since the start of the season and are aiming for a 12th consecutive win in Hungary. Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion and current championship leader, did not turn in the first session due to rain and could not do better than 11th in the second.
His teammate Sergio Pérez had another dark day with a run-off at the very beginning of the first session, when it was not yet raining, damaging the front gear of his car.
It could be repaired in time for the 2nd but the Mexican could not do better than the 18th time showing the difficulties of development that the Austrian cars encounter on the narrow and very winding track of the Hungaroring.
Disappointment also at Mercedes with only the 16th time for the British Lewis Hamilton and the 20th for his teammate and compatriot George Russell in the 2nd session. Russell had set the fastest time of the 1st but in the rain.
Ricciardo 14th
Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who returns to F1 at AlphaTauri after several months of absence, set the 14th fastest time for his return. His compatriot Oscar Piastri, who had replaced him at McLaren at the end of the last season, experienced some setbacks by damaging his car and only achieved the 19th and penultimate time of the 2nd session.
The other McLaren driver, Briton Lando Norris, confirmed the return to form of the orange cars after their good results at the previous British GP with his 2nd time.
McLaren is battling with Alpine for 5th place in the championship. Pierre Gasly's good time just behind Norris in the 2nd session put some balm in the heart of the French team, whose two cars had abandoned at Silverstone. His teammate Esteban Ocon placed 5th.
Alpine had announced the day before a reshuffle of its management with the replacement of Laurent Rossi by Philippe Krief, who came from Ferrari.
Alpine finished the 2022 season in 4th place among manufacturers and hoped to do at least as well in 2023 with France's Ocon and Gasly. But it is already well behind the top four (in order Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari) and has just been overtaken by McLaren in the provisional standings.
© 2023 AFP