Antonelli leads Belgian GP practice after Gasly crash halts session
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in FP2 at Spa, while Pierre Gasly's crash caused a red flag that disrupted the final minutes of the session.
Kimi Antonelli recorded the quickest lap in the second practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix, posting a 1:45.944 on soft tyres and finishing 0.19 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. The session was interrupted twice, first to clear gravel at Stavelot and later by Pierre Gasly's crash, which saw his Alpine lose rear downforce and strike the outside wall, prompting a red flag with 15 minutes remaining.
Antonelli's time remained unbeaten despite subsequent runs on the C4 medium compound. Max Verstappen briefly led the session with a 1:46.416 before Antonelli reclaimed the top spot on his second soft-tyre attempt. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both saw laps deleted for track-limit infringements, though Hamilton's lap was later reinstated.
Isack Hadjar topped the medium-tyre timesheets early in the session, while his teammate Oscar Piastri returned to the track after a hydraulic issue in FP1 and posted a 1:46.926. Other notable performances included George Russell in eighth place and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who fell to 11th after a lap was removed for cutting the Raidillon corner.
Alpine's Pierre Gasly's best pre-crash lap was deleted for exceeding track limits, and the driver retired after the incident. The session concluded with Mercedes occupying the top two positions, followed by Red Bull and Ferrari drivers in the top five.