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Max Verstappen rebounded from his disappointing end to the British Grand Prix by leading the first practice session at Spa.
However the predictions that Formula 1’s new generation of cars would be significantly slower around one of the fastest tracks on the calendar were borne out.
With limited opportunities to charge their batteries around the seven-kilometre track, cars struggled for power particularly through the middle part of the lap and the fast run to the chicane at the end. Verstappen’s session-topping time of 1’47.070 was over five seconds slower than Oscar Piastri benchmark pace in the same session 12 months ago.
Piastri hit trouble late in the opening practice session when his McLaren ground to a halt approaching Les Combes. Under instruction from his team, Piastri was able to pull away and slowly return to the pits.
Unusually, neither Mercedes driver appeared in the top five places. Andrea Kimi Antonelli was sixth, over half a second off Verstappen, and frustrated by an encounter with Carlos Sainz Jnr’s Williams at the exit of Stavelot. Sainz also attracted the stewards’ attention by heading into the pit exit, then swerving out at the last moment.
The Ferrari pair got closest to Verstappen’s time, followed by Isack Hadjar, though he will join Lando Norris in taking a grid penalty for a power unit parts change. Norris took eighth behind Antonelli and just a few hundredths of a second ahead of George Russell. Arvid Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.
Aston Martin reserve driver Jak Crawford returned for the team at the wheel of Fernando Alonso’s car, but their pace in the opening session indicates this will be their toughest weekend yet. While the top 10 teams were covered by 2.7 seconds, the quickest Aston Martin was another three seconds behind.
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2026 Belgian Grand Prix first practice result
| P. | # | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | RB22 | 1’47.070 | |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’47.215 | 0.145 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’47.277 | 0.207 |
| 4 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | RB22 | 1’47.322 | 0.252 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL40 | 1’47.522 | 0.452 |
| 6 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | W17 | 1’47.603 | 0.533 |
| 7 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL40 | 1’47.931 | 0.861 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W17 | 1’47.959 | 0.889 |
| 9 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 03 | 1’48.234 | 1.164 |
| 10 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | R26 | 1’48.406 | 1.336 |
| 11 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 03 | 1’48.432 | 1.362 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | R26 | 1’48.962 | 1.892 |
| 13 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas-Ferrari | VF-26 | 1’49.010 | 1.940 |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW48 | 1’49.337 | 2.267 |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine-Mercedes | A526 | 1’49.403 | 2.333 |
| 16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas-Ferrari | VF-26 | 1’49.449 | 2.379 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Mercedes | A526 | 1’49.712 | 2.642 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac-Ferrari | MAC-26 | 1’49.839 | 2.769 |
| 19 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac-Ferrari | MAC-26 | 1’50.226 | 3.156 |
| 20 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams-Mercedes | FW48 | 1’50.862 | 3.792 |
| 21 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Honda | AMR26 | 1’52.808 | 5.738 |
| 22 | 34 | Jak Crawford | Aston Martin-Honda | AMR26 | 1’53.199 | 6.129 |
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2026 Belgian Grand Prix
- Verstappen leads first practice at Spa, cars five seconds slower than last year
- Verstappen had no doubt Antonelli would “make the jump” in second season of F1
- ‘Not a nice way to finish’: Leclerc doesn’t understand British GP Safety Car ending
- Norris to take 10-place grid drop penalty as McLaren fit new electronics unit
- Calendar questions, Antonelli’s shrinking lead and more Belgian Grand Prix talking points
Browse all 2026 Belgian Grand Prix articles