Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the pace in the second free practice session for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. The Mercedes driver recorded a lap time of 1:45.944s, placing him nearly two tenths clear of the field.
This performance followed Max Verstappen’s dominant run in Free Practice 1 earlier on Friday. Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, topped the opening session with a 1:47.070s lap.
Antonelli’s strong showing in FP2 re-established Mercedes’ presence at the top of the timesheets. The Italian currently leads the World Drivers’ Championship standings.
His championship lead, however, has been reduced to 25 points over teammate George Russell following a series of reliability issues. Antonelli experienced non-scoring weekends in Barcelona and Silverstone due to technical problems.
Verstappen’s FP1 benchmark marked his first time topping a practice session this season. Red Bull has faced a challenging 2026 campaign, with the team positioned sixth in the constructors’ standings as of April.
The Red Bull technical director indicated in February that their car was, at best, the fourth fastest on the grid. Verstappen also retired from the Chinese Grand Prix due to engine trouble.
In FP1, Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari secured the second-fastest time, 0.145 seconds behind Verstappen. His teammate Charles Leclerc finished third.
Lando Norris of McLaren finished second in FP2, 0.190 seconds adrift of Antonelli. Verstappen was third in the second session, nearly half a second off the pace.
George Russell struggled in both sessions, finishing eighth in FP1 and FP2. He reported issues with cold rear tyres during the afternoon session.
Oscar Piastri encountered a hydraulic problem in his McLaren during FP1, forcing him to return slowly to the pits. He recovered to finish sixth in FP2.
The second practice session was interrupted twice by red flags. The first was for gravel on the track, and the second occurred after Pierre Gasly crashed his Alpine.
Isack Hadjar of Red Bull faces a back-of-the-grid penalty for the Grand Prix due to multiple power unit component changes. Lando Norris will also incur a 10-place grid penalty for a new battery.
‘Of course, it’s very frustrating,’ Antonelli stated regarding his recent mishaps. ‘But this is motorsport, so things like this happen. Of course, I think now it was enough, but it’s part of motorsport.’
The Belgian Grand Prix marks Round 10 of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.
