2026 Belgian Grand Prix Practice Results: Antonelli Tops FP2 After Verstappen Leads FP1
2026 Belgian Grand Prix Practice Results: Antonelli Fastest on Friday at Spa
The opening day of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix delivered an intriguing battle between Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren at Spa-Francorchamps.
Max Verstappen led the first practice session for Red Bull, but Kimi Antonelli responded in FP2 by setting the fastest lap of the day for Mercedes. The afternoon session was interrupted by two red flags, including a heavy crash for Alpine driver Pierre Gasly.
With Spa’s long straights, high-speed corners, and unpredictable conditions, Friday practice provided several important clues ahead of qualifying.
Verstappen Leads FP1 for Red Bull
Max Verstappen made a strong start to the Belgian Grand Prix weekend by topping FP1 with a lap of 1:47.070.
The Red Bull driver finished just 0.145 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc completed the top three for Ferrari, only 0.207 seconds behind Verstappen.
FP1 Top Five
- Max Verstappen — Red Bull — 1:47.070
- Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +0.145s
- Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.207s
- Isack Hadjar — Red Bull — +0.252s
- Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +0.452s
Verstappen used an older-specification rear wing after Red Bull moved away from a more experimental design. The decision appeared to give him greater confidence around Spa’s fast and demanding layout.
Ferrari also looked competitive immediately. Hamilton and Leclerc both stayed close to Verstappen, suggesting that Ferrari could challenge near the front in qualifying.
Antonelli Responds by Topping FP2
Kimi Antonelli produced the fastest lap of the day in FP2, setting a 1:45.944 for Mercedes.
The championship leader finished 0.190 seconds ahead of Lando Norris, with Verstappen third, 0.472 seconds off the pace. Hamilton took fourth place, while Isack Hadjar completed the top five.
FP2 Top Five
- Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — 1:45.944
- Lando Norris — McLaren — +0.190s
- Max Verstappen — Red Bull — +0.472s
- Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +0.747s
- Isack Hadjar — Red Bull — +0.770s
Antonelli was the first driver to break into the 1:45 range during the session and remained at the top when the chequered flag fell. His performance reinforced Mercedes’ status as one of the strongest teams heading into qualifying.
Norris Shows McLaren Pace, but Grid Penalty Looms
Lando Norris finished second in FP2 and showed that McLaren has competitive one-lap pace at Spa.
However, Norris faces a 10-place grid penalty after McLaren introduced an additional power-unit component beyond the permitted seasonal allocation. This means that even a strong qualifying result may leave him starting from the middle of the grid.
That penalty could make race strategy especially important for Norris on Sunday. Spa is one of the better overtaking circuits on the calendar, but recovering positions will still require strong tyre management and straight-line speed.
Gasly Crash Brings Out Red Flag
The most dramatic moment of FP2 came when Pierre Gasly lost control of his Alpine near the exit of Turn 13.
The car suffered significant rear-wing and suspension damage, bringing out the second red flag of the session with approximately 14 minutes remaining. Although the session restarted briefly, there was not enough time for the leading drivers to improve their fastest laps.
The incident left Alpine facing a major repair job before Saturday’s running.
Ferrari Remains in the Fight
Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a consistent Friday, finishing second in FP1 and fourth in FP2.
Hamilton said the balance of the Ferrari was generally positive, although he believed improvements were still needed through Spa’s middle sector. Charles Leclerc was third in FP1 but dropped to 11th in FP2.
Ferrari’s Friday pace suggests the team may be more competitive than Leclerc’s FP2 position indicates. Hamilton’s performance in particular showed that the car has the speed to challenge near the front.
Piastri’s Friday Disrupted by Hydraulic Issue
Oscar Piastri finished fifth in FP1, but his opening session ended with a hydraulic-pressure problem.
McLaren had to work on the car between sessions, delaying Piastri’s FP2 running by around 20 minutes. He eventually recovered to sixth place in the afternoon session.
Despite the limited track time, Piastri reported that McLaren’s pace looked reasonable and that the team had a solid platform to build on.
Russell Struggles Compared with Antonelli
While Antonelli topped FP2, George Russell had a more difficult day.
Russell finished eighth in both sessions and ended FP2 more than one second behind his Mercedes teammate. The gap was surprising given Mercedes’ overall strength, and Russell reported difficulty bringing the rear tyres into the correct operating window.
Finding a better balance in FP3 will be essential if Russell wants to challenge for the front row in qualifying.
What Friday Practice Tells Us
Friday’s results suggest that the Belgian Grand Prix could feature a close fight between several teams.
Mercedes appears particularly strong after Antonelli’s FP2 performance, but Verstappen’s FP1 pace showed that Red Bull remains a serious threat. Ferrari also looked competitive through Hamilton, while McLaren demonstrated encouraging speed with Norris and Piastri.
However, practice results at Spa can be difficult to interpret. Fuel loads, tyre compounds, engine modes, weather, and traffic can all influence lap times.
The clearest conclusions from Friday are:
- Mercedes has strong one-lap pace.
- Verstappen remains highly competitive at Spa.
- Ferrari is close enough to challenge.
- McLaren has speed, but Norris’ penalty changes his weekend.
- Gasly’s crash may limit Alpine’s preparation.
- Qualifying could be extremely close.
Qualifying Storylines to Watch
Can Antonelli Convert His FP2 Pace?
Antonelli enters qualifying as one of the favourites after setting the fastest time on Friday.
Can Verstappen Fight for Pole?
Verstappen looked comfortable in FP1, but he will need to find more pace after finishing nearly half a second behind Antonelli in FP2.
Is Hamilton a Genuine Pole Contender?
Hamilton was competitive in both sessions and appears to have a well-balanced Ferrari.
How Far Can Norris Recover?
Even a front-row qualifying result would be heavily affected by his 10-place grid penalty.
Will Spa’s Weather Change Everything?
Spa-Francorchamps is famous for rapidly changing weather, with conditions sometimes differing from one part of the circuit to another. The 7.004-kilometre layout is the longest on the current F1 calendar and can make tyre and setup decisions especially difficult.
Final Thoughts
The first day of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix produced two different session leaders and no clear favourite.
Verstappen led FP1, Antonelli dominated the headline in FP2, and Hamilton remained close throughout the day. Norris also showed impressive pace, although his grid penalty may prevent him from fully benefiting from it.
Mercedes may hold a slight advantage heading into qualifying, but Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren all appear capable of challenging.
At a circuit as unpredictable as Spa, the battle for pole position remains wide open.
- Max Verstappen topped FP1 with a 1:47.070 lap.
- Kimi Antonelli set the fastest Friday time in FP2 with a 1:45.944.
- Lando Norris finished second in FP2 but faces a 10-place grid penalty.
- Lewis Hamilton finished second in FP1 and fourth in FP2.
- Pierre Gasly crashed heavily in FP2, causing a red flag.
- Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren all showed competitive pace.
- Qualifying at Spa is expected to be extremely close.