2026 F1 Belgian Grand Prix: Verstappen and Antonelli Share Friday Honours at Spa

The opening day of the 2026 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix has delivered exactly what fans expected from Spa-Francorchamps: changing fortunes, razor-thin margins and plenty of intrigue ahead of qualifying. Friday’s two practice sessions saw Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli emerge as the pace setters, but the overall picture suggests that several teams remain firmly in contention.

While Red Bull looked strongest in the morning, Mercedes responded emphatically in the afternoon, Ferrari consistently remained in the mix, and McLaren showed flashes of pace despite encountering setbacks.

Verstappen strikes first in FP1

Max Verstappen opened the Belgian Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in Free Practice 1 with a 1:47.070, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

The Dutchman looked comfortable throughout much of the session despite Red Bull reverting to an older rear-wing specification following recent incidents in Austria and Silverstone. Ferrari immediately established itself as Red Bull’s closest challenger, with Hamilton and Leclerc both finishing within two-tenths of Verstappen’s benchmark.

Several storylines also emerged during the opening hour.

Lando Norris entered the weekend already carrying a ten-place grid penalty following power unit changes, while Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar faces an even steeper twenty-place penalty. Despite those looming setbacks, Hadjar impressed by finishing fourth quickest after initially becoming the first driver to break into the 1:48 bracket.

Mercedes appeared slightly less convincing over a single lap. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli admitted the car felt “a bit edgy” during qualifying simulations before requesting a switch to long-run work. George Russell also struggled to match the pace of the leading trio.

Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five despite suffering a late hydraulic pressure issue that briefly stopped his McLaren on circuit before he was able to return slowly to the pits.

Mercedes answers in FP2

The afternoon FP2 session belonged to Mercedes as Kimi Antonelli produced an impressive 1:45.944, becoming the first driver to dip below the 1:46 barrier during the weekend.

Antonelli’s pace was particularly encouraging considering he had looked less comfortable earlier in the day. The championship leader found significant improvements as track conditions evolved, underlining why he currently leads the Drivers’ Championship.

Lando Norris recovered from a disrupted morning to finish second, just under two-tenths behind Antonelli despite his upcoming grid penalty.

Max Verstappen completed the top three, less than half a second off the fastest time, suggesting Red Bull continues to possess excellent underlying pace even if it no longer holds a clear advantage.

Lewis Hamilton maintained Ferrari’s encouraging form in fourth, while Hadjar again impressed in fifth. Oscar Piastri recovered from his hydraulic problems to finish sixth after McLaren successfully repaired his car before the session.

Red flags interrupt the action

Free Practice 2 featured two interruptions that prevented many teams from completing uninterrupted race simulations.

The first red flag occurred after Verstappen dipped a wheel into the gravel exiting Turn 14, scattering debris across the racing line and forcing marshals to clear the circuit.

Later in the session, Pierre Gasly suffered a heavy accident exiting Turn 13. The Alpine driver sustained significant rear-end damage after losing control, bringing out another red flag with only minutes remaining.

Fortunately, Gasly walked away unharmed, but Alpine will have considerable repair work ahead before Saturday.

Ferrari quietly building confidence

Although Ferrari did not top either session, the Scuderia arguably enjoyed one of the strongest Fridays of any team.

Hamilton finished second in FP1 before taking fourth in FP2, while Leclerc ended the morning third and remained competitive despite finishing outside the top ten during the afternoon as teams adopted different run plans.

Importantly, both Ferrari drivers consistently appeared comfortable around Spa’s demanding high-speed corners, suggesting they could become serious contenders once qualifying begins.

If the team can unlock a little more one-lap pace overnight, Ferrari may find itself challenging both Mercedes and Red Bull for pole position.

McLaren faces mixed fortunes

McLaren’s Friday was somewhat contradictory.

On one hand, Norris demonstrated impressive outright speed by finishing second in FP2 despite spending much of FP1 conducting aerodynamic testing. On the other hand, his ten-place grid penalty significantly limits what could otherwise have been a promising weekend.

Piastri’s hydraulic issue also disrupted the team’s preparations, although his recovery to sixth in FP2 indicates the underlying pace remains competitive.

Even with Norris facing a penalty, McLaren still appears capable of fighting near the front during Sunday’s race through strategy and tyre management.

What we’ve learned so far

Friday’s running has highlighted just how competitive Formula 1 has become in 2026.

The leading teams appear remarkably closely matched, with no constructor establishing a decisive advantage across both sessions. Mercedes topped FP2, Red Bull led FP1, Ferrari remained consistently competitive, while McLaren showed enough pace to remain firmly in contention.

Several key talking points have emerged:

• Red Bull remains extremely fast despite running an older rear wing.
• Mercedes found significant pace during FP2, led by Antonelli.
• Ferrari looks consistently competitive across both drivers.
• McLaren’s race pace remains an unknown after technical interruptions.
• Hadjar continues to impress despite facing a major grid penalty.
• Norris’ penalty could dramatically reshape Sunday’s race.

Saturday promises an exciting battle

With Friday complete, the fight for pole position looks remarkably open.

Antonelli carries momentum into Saturday after topping FP2, but Verstappen has already demonstrated Red Bull’s strength over a single lap. Ferrari remains close enough to capitalise on any mistakes, while McLaren could still spring a surprise despite Norris’ inevitable grid drop.

Spa-Francorchamps has a habit of producing unpredictable weekends, and Friday’s closely contested practice sessions suggest qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix could become another classic chapter in the circuit’s rich Formula 1 history.

From a South African perspective, all eyes will now turn to qualifying to see whether Mercedes can convert Friday’s promising pace into pole position, or whether Verstappen and Red Bull once again deliver when it matters most.