Fernando Alonso Set to Miss Belgian GP First Practice Session

Fernando Alonso will sit out first practice at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, with reserve Jak Crawford driving the Aston Martin AMR26 as part of the team’s rookie FP1 programme.

Aston Martin confirms the switch for FP1, extending Crawford’s season of outings after appearances in Japan and Austria. The team integrates him through a structured run plan.

F1 regulations require rookie participation across multiple FP1 sessions, so teams schedule absences carefully to meet obligations without undermining race preparation.

Alonso previously ceded his car at Suzuka, and Belgium should be his final FP1 absence for compliance purposes this season.

For Crawford, Spa offers another calibration step, mixing live mileage with correlation work to build confidence on procedures, tyres, and high-speed balance.

The team treats FP1 as a controlled validation window, refining aero maps and ride platforms while protecting Alonso’s and Stroll’s qualifying and race priorities.

Lance Stroll is expected to miss at least one further FP1 this year, having already handed Crawford seat time during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

Spa-Francorchamps magnifies setup compromises, with sector-one drag sensitivity offset by high-speed demands through Eau Rouge, Pouhon, and Blanchimont, underscoring Spa’s challenge and the value of representative FP1 laps.

Attention also turns to Ferrari’s form and the front-running battle, with Hamilton’s victory bid part of an increasingly tight competitive picture.

Aston Martin’s approach blends immediate performance needs with programme obligations, leveraging rookie mileage while safeguarding race-day execution for its regular drivers.

The Spa weekend should also inform the team’s development path into the 2026 season, guiding workload management and operational refinements.

For Crawford, another FP1 builds trust with engineers and systems familiarity, while Alonso and Stroll concentrate on qualifying prep and long-run pace ahead of Sunday.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.