#F1 #BelgianGP #FP2: #Antonelli quickest ahead of @LandoNorris, @Max33Verstappen.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, #12, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W17, Free Practice 2, Formula 1 Moet & Chandon Belgian Grand Prix 2026, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium. Image credit to Clive Mason/Getty Images. Antonelli Belgian GP FP2, 2026 Belgian GP FP2, Belgian Grand Prix FP2 Results, 2026 F1 Belgian GP FP2 Results.
Antonelli Belgian GP FP2 – Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli was quickest in a red-flag-affected Free Practice 2 session at the Belgian GP ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who completed the top three.
Antonelli posted the session-topping benchmark with the C4 red side-walled softer compounds setting a 1:45.944 and was 0.190 seconds clear of Norris whilst Verstappen was a further 0.472 seconds off in third.
Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas lead the pack out on the C3 yellow-marked medium compounds.
The Finn posted the early benchmark of a 1:50.836.
The times were tumbling as championship leader Antonelli put his Silver Arrows on top with a 1:46.911 on the medium rubber ending up 0.660 clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Mercedes’ George Russell was over 1.130 seconds adrift of his team-mate Antonelli’s 1:48.041 effort.
Replays showed Sir Lewis Hamilton run wide at the final chicane.
Verstappen on the medium compound set a 1:46.942 and was demoted to third by team-mate Isack Hadjar’s 1:46.922 who ended up a slim 0.011 seconds.
Russell and Antonelli were unable to improve on their next flyers as RB’s Arvid Lindblad shot to fourth with a 1:47.315 to jump the Ferrari duo.
With 48 minutes left on the clock, the red flag was brought out for gravel on the track at turn 15 after a Red Bull flicked it up at turn 15.
“My god, these ***** shifts,” radioed Verstappen to his team.
“Why are they so ****? Unbelievable, my god.” The Dutchman said.
Following an eight-minute delay for the gravel to be cleared, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri returned to the track after the Woking-based outfit fixed the hydraulics issue.
Hadjar was the first to set a lap on the C4 red-marked softer compounds – a 1:46.714, which was beaten by team-mate Verstappen’s 1:46.416 effort – Antonelli went even quicker, setting 1:45.944 as the Italian went 0.472 seconds quicker at the head of the pile.
Hamilton was next and with three personal bests went to third overall, posting a 1:46.691 as his team-mate Leclerc moved into fifth place on a 1:47.035 to end up 1.091 seconds off Antonelli’s benchmark.
Russell followed and with two personal bests posted a 1:47.229 to go fifth and was ousted by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto who set a 1:47.147 whilst reigning world champion Norris moved up into second place posting a 1:46.134 to end up 0.190 seconds off Antonelli’s benchmark.
The other Alpine of Pierre Gasly with two personal bests and a purple final sector jumped to ninth overall but had his lap-time deleted for exceeding track limits as RB’s Liam Lawson took his place with a 1:47.434.
Lindblad improved on his lap-time with a personal best middle sector to remain in eighth to set a 1:47.294.
Piastri followed on his flyer on the C4’s and the Australian with a personal best sector one and three time moved into sixth on the time-sheets setting a 1:46.926 effort to wound up 0.982 seconds adrift of Antonelli’s best time.
With less than 25 minutes remaining – the majority returned to the pits to adjust their setups and put on a set of the mediums to do their traditional race long data gathering runs to end the session.
The timing sheets were looking interesting, as it seemed we cannot talk about the teams being in a pecking order.
In Antonelli’s hands, the Mercedes was clearly the class of the field – ahead of McLaren courtesy of Norris and Red Bull’s Verstappen.
But were McLaren really ahead of Red Bull and Ferrari or was that just a solid lap from Norris was the question.
Leclerc meanwhile was down in 11th after losing his best lap-time due to track limits.
A second red flag was brought out with 15 minutes remaining after it was seen that Gasly destroyed the rear of his A526 racer.
Replays showed the Frenchman went into the gravel after losing the rear and whacking the wall out of the Les Fagnes Chicane sending his car into a spin across the gravel and destroying the back of his car.
“Just absolutely lost it out of nowhere, just lost the rear,” Gasly radioed to the team.
Gasly parked it on-track in-between Campus and Stavelot.
After a 13-minute delay and Gasly’s A526 and all the gravel and debris was cleared with two minutes remaining – Bottas lead the pack out to end their sessions with a practice start.
FP2 ended with Antonelli on top and ahead of Norris with Verstappen completing the top three.
Hamilton was fourth and in-front of Hadjar who placed fifth and Piastri who took sixth.
Colapinto ended FP2 seventh and ahead of Russell who ended the day in eighth.
RB pairing Lindblad and Lawson rounded out the top ten.
You can see the full Formula 1 Moet & Chandon Belgian Grand Prix 2026 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 MOËT & CHANDON BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 – PRACTICE 2
#F1 #BelgianGP #FP1: @Max33Verstappen quickest ahead of @ScuderiaFerrari duo.
#F1 Moet & Chandon #BelgianGP 2026 Preview. #Formula1 #BelgianGrandPrix
