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By Open Chronicle News Desk with Agencies
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive 2026 Formula 1 campaign by setting the fastest time in the second free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, leading Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in an eventful session interrupted twice by red flags.
The Mercedes driver produced a best lap of 1:45.944, confirming the pace shown by the Silver Arrows after a more modest opening practice and strengthening his position as one of the favourites for qualifying and Sunday’s race.
Antonelli responds after FP1
After finishing sixth in the opening practice session, Mercedes made several overnight setup adjustments that immediately transformed Antonelli’s car.
The Italian established the benchmark early in the session and remained comfortably at the top of the timesheets as rivals struggled to improve following two separate interruptions.
Antonelli completed 17 laps and finished 0.190 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, with Max Verstappen placing third for Red Bull, 0.472 seconds off the pace.
Norris and Verstappen remain close
McLaren once again demonstrated competitive pace despite a difficult start to the afternoon.
Lando Norris finished second after another consistent performance, while teammate Oscar Piastri lost valuable running time after mechanics continued repairing the hydraulic issue that curtailed his first practice session. Even so, the Australian recovered to finish sixth after joining the action nearly twenty minutes after the session began.
Verstappen, fastest in FP1, remained firmly in contention despite reporting that a slow final sector and a slight excursion into the gravel prevented him from challenging Antonelli’s benchmark.
Ferrari remains competitive
Lewis Hamilton ended the session in fourth place for Ferrari, less than eight tenths behind Antonelli, while Charles Leclerc finished outside the top ten after failing to maximize his quickest lap.
Although Ferrari did not match the outright pace of Mercedes or McLaren, Hamilton’s performance suggested the Italian team remains in contention as engineers continue refining the car for qualifying.
Isack Hadjar completed the top five with another strong showing for Red Bull, continuing an impressive run of form despite facing significant grid penalties later in the weekend because of power unit changes.
Session interrupted twice
The one-hour practice session was disrupted by two separate red flags.
The first interruption came after gravel was dragged onto the racing line, requiring marshals to clear the circuit before running could resume.
The second and more significant stoppage occurred just minutes before the end of the session when Alpine driver Pierre Gasly lost control of his car at the high-speed Fagnes corner.
Gasly spun into the barriers, damaging the rear suspension and rear wing before coming to a halt on the circuit. Although the French driver climbed from the car unharmed, the accident effectively ended meaningful running for the remainder of the field.
Mercedes finds the right direction
Antonelli later explained that changes made after FP1 had significantly improved the balance of his Mercedes.
The championship leader said the team had found a much better operating window for the car, providing confidence heading into qualifying on one of the fastest and most technically demanding circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.
Mercedes also collected valuable long-run data despite George Russell finishing eighth after struggling with rear grip throughout the session.
Midfield battle remains competitive
Behind the leading teams, Franco Colapinto delivered an encouraging seventh-place finish for Alpine despite Gasly’s late accident.
The Racing Bulls pair of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top ten alongside Russell, while Gabriel Bortoleto placed thirteenth for Audi after another solid and consistent practice session.
With extremely small gaps throughout the midfield, teams are expected to continue making setup changes before qualifying as they search for the ideal compromise between straight-line speed and cornering performance around Spa’s 7.004-kilometre layout.
Qualifying promises close fight
Friday’s two practice sessions suggest that Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull remain closely matched heading into qualifying.
Antonelli’s pace over both medium and soft tyre compounds demonstrated the versatility of the Mercedes package, while Verstappen’s strong long-run pace and McLaren’s consistent performance indicate that the battle for pole position remains wide open.
Ferrari also remains within striking distance despite trailing slightly in outright pace, ensuring another highly competitive qualifying session at one of Formula 1’s most iconic circuits.
With unpredictable Ardennes weather always capable of influencing proceedings, teams will continue preparing for rapidly changing track conditions that have historically made the Belgian Grand Prix one of the most unpredictable weekends of the season.