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Max Verstappen Shocks Fans in Belgian GP Practice Session
Highlights
- Max Verstappen topped first practice at 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
- Red Bull reverted to original wing after ‘Macarena’ wing removal.
- Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc placed second and third.
- Lando Norris faced grid penalty and qualified seventh in practice.
- Oscar Piastri ended practice early due to hydraulics issue.
- Verstappen’s pace highlights Red Bull’s strength despite technical changes.
Max Verstappen sets the pace in first practice with a 1:47.070 at Spa, establishing the early benchmark during the opening session for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
Red Bull reverts to its original rear wing after the ‘Macarena’ concept links to recent crashes. Hopes of rivals gaining fade as Verstappen is quickest and Isack Hadjar places fourth within 0.25s, despite recent technical changes.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton goes second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third, neatly splitting the Red Bulls. It is the first opening practice this season not topped by Mercedes or Ferrari.
Tyre choice shapes the early order. Hamilton’s 1:50.438 on mediums yields to Red Bull laps on softer compounds, before Verstappen retakes P1 with a quicker medium-tyre run, 0.227s clear of Hadjar.
The intra-team battle ebbs through the hour. Hadjar opens with a 1:48.918, Verstappen restores control, and holds roughly a quarter-second cushion into the final minutes.
Verstappen’s 1:47.070 sets the FP1 benchmark, despite Red Bull abandoning the ‘Macarena’ rear wing.
Lando Norris starts slowly, completing two installation laps in the first 20 minutes. A power-unit change triggers a grid penalty for Sunday, yet he recovers to seventh on late soft-tyre runs.
Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli briefly tops the charts mid-session on softs, 0.175s clear of Hadjar. George Russell cannot match that reference and sits roughly three tenths adrift.
Norris carries a grid penalty for a power-unit change, tempering any qualifying gains.
Oscar Piastri holds fifth for McLaren before stopping early with a hydraulics problem. Behind him come Antonelli, Russell and Norris as conditions stabilise on the soft tyre.
Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto complete the top ten, with Bortoleto nearly 1.5s down. Aston Martin stand-in Jak Crawford trails by over six seconds.
Piastri’s session ends with a hydraulics fault after setting a P5 time.
Red Bull’s baseline looks robust at Spa, even after recent revisions. Verstappen’s form aligns with the team’s emphasis on execution and strategy heading into qualifying.
The next runs should show whether Mercedes and Ferrari can erode the margin as fuel loads converge, following insights from the Thursday build-up and evolving track conditions.
Visual Summary
🏎️
Verstappen
1:47.070
🏎️
Hamilton
+0.145s
🏎️
Leclerc
+0.187s
🏎️
Hadjar
+0.227s
Verstappen shocks Spa Top of FP1!
Red Bull bounces back at Spa, Verstappen fastest after ditching the controversial wing.
Ferrari splits the Bulls, while Mercedes struggles.
Surprise: Norris faces grid penalty,
Piastri hits trouble, newcomers impress.
Ferrari splits the Bulls, while Mercedes struggles.
Surprise: Norris faces grid penalty,
Piastri hits trouble, newcomers impress.
Fastest Lap
1:47.070
Spa-Francorchamps
🏆
1
Verstappen
🥈
2
Hamilton
🏁
3
Leclerc
🚀
4
Hadjar
🛠️
5
Piastri
⭐
6
Antonelli
🦁
7
Russell
⚡
8
Norris
🐂
9
Lindblad
🚦
10
Bortoleto
⚡ Norris’ grid penalty | 🛠️ Piastri’s early exit | 🧑🔧 New faces make a mark
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.
