The Force India team has withdrawn both of its drivers, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg, from Friday’s second free practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, following Perez’s spectacular accident in the opening session.

The team said it wasn’t certain what had caused Mexican Perez to lose control over the kerbs, hit the barriers and tip his car upside down. He walked away unhurt.

In a comment on Twitter, the team said: “The investigation on the causes of Checo’s crash is still ongoing – neither Nico nor Checo will take part in FP2 at this stage.”

The team erected barriers around their pits garage to block any view of the cars while they were being dismantled and rebuilt.

Series leader and defending two-time world champion Briton Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the first practice with a best lap of one minute and 25.141 seconds ahead of his Mercedes teammate German Nico Rosberg by 0.109 seconds.

Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points in this year’s title race after nine of the 19 races and he is seeking a record fifth win in Hungary.

Raikkonen was third on Friday ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo and his Red Bull teammate Russian Daniil Kvyat with four-time champion Sebastian Vettel sixth in the second Ferrari.

The session was the first live Formula One action since Jules Bianchi’s death nine months after he crashed into a recovery vehicle in torrential rain during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka last October.