Verstappen tops Belgian Grand Prix practice as Ferraris and McLaren close in
Red Bull's Max Verstappen set the fastest time in first practice at Spa-Francorchamps, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc moved up the leaderboard and Lando Norris recorded an eighth-place lap.
Max Verstappen recorded the quickest lap in the opening practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, posting a time of 1:48.237 in his Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton briefly led the session before Verstappen reclaimed the top spot, and Charles Leclerc moved into third place. Oscar Piastri posted a fifth-fastest lap, while Lando Norris of McLaren completed an out-lap and later set an eighth-place time.
Several drivers, including Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon and the two Aston Martins, ran on medium-compound tyres, whereas most of the field used the soft compound. Franco Colapinto was the sole driver on hard tyres. Isack Hadjar topped the soft-tyre times with a 1:47.778 lap.
The 2026 season will see Spa-Francorchamps alternate with the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit on the Formula One calendar through 2032, with Spa scheduled to host races in 2027, 2029 and 2031.
"Verstappen fastest" – BBC F1 commentator Harry Benjamin noted the Dutch driver’s leading time. "Just Lando Norris still to set a lap time but we've got an update from McLaren, who say they were just doing a swap of the steering wheel," Benjamin added, indicating the team’s ongoing adjustments.