Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in the sole practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix held at Spa-Francorchamps, standing out despite challenges faced by key rivals like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. This session, crucial ahead of the weekend’s Sprint qualifying, revealed early difficulties for Verstappen, while Norris encountered issues that prevented him from matching Piastri’s pace.
By the end of Friday morning’s running, Piastri held a comfortable lead of four-tenths of a second over Verstappen, with Norris trailing just a further tenth behind. This practice was the first on the newly introduced Pirelli C2 tires, falling between the traditional C1 and C3 compounds, and marked the return of drivers after a two-week break.
Early Challenges and On-Track Struggles During Practice
The session began with technical problems as Carlos Sainz faced acceleration trouble during his out-lap, forcing Williams to signal a critical limp mode issue and instruct him to return to the pits promptly. Max Verstappen initially took control using the medium tire, setting an early fastest lap of 1:45.545, which placed him half a second ahead of Norris who was running on the harder compound.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton experienced instability and rear locking on his Ferrari, leading to a cautious approach as he clipped the kerb at Raidillon and later cut the Les Combes chicane.
“I have a lot of rear locking and instability,”
Hamilton reported, highlighting his difficulty in achieving a clean flying lap.
The track tests were not smooth for several drivers, including Kimi Antonelli and Franco Colapinto, both who locked up their wheels at various points. Sainz and Lance Stroll remained mostly in the garage as their teams worked to resolve mechanical issues.
Gradual Improvements Amid Traffic and On-Track Incidents
As more drivers pushed their limits, Verstappen improved his time significantly to 1:44.236, but Esteban Ocon’s Alpine closed in closely with a time just 0.067 seconds off the Red Bull driver. Oscar Piastri, climbing the timing sheets while running on the hard tires, remained about half a second slower at this stage.
Hamilton’s ongoing difficulties caused tension on track, notably blocking Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who expressed his frustration bluntly:
“What the fuck is Hamilton doing? He’s always in the middle of the track!”
Charles Leclerc later edged ahead with a 1:44.148, just 0.088 seconds quicker than Verstappen, but the Ferrari driver ran wide to avoid impeding Williams’ Alexander Albon.
George Russell narrowly avoided a collision with Colapinto by taking an evasive move with two wheels off the grass, an incident referred to the stewards for investigation. As tire changes began, Lance Stroll briefly topped the times on soft tires, clocking 1:43.112 from 11th position, before Piastri surged ahead with an impressive 1:42.123 lap.
Final Runs Determine the Top Positions At FP1’s Close
The concluding laps saw Piastri firmly secure first place, finishing 0.404 seconds ahead of Verstappen, who struggled with his car’s performance and was unable to match the McLaren driver’s pace. Norris, in third, had a disappointing moment running wide on his final flying lap, contributing to a gap of over half a second behind Piastri.
This session marked a rare and unexpected shakeup at Spa, emphasizing the challenges faced by some frontrunners and the potential momentum gained by Piastri heading into the weekend’s Sprint qualifying and race.
Belgian Grand Prix FP1 Top Lap Times
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:42.022
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – +0.404
3. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.504
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.576
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.906
6. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.957
7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +1.063
8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +1.090
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +1.098
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – +1.100
11. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +1.195
12. Alexander Albon (Williams) – +1.239
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) – +1.240
14. Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) – +1.448
15. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +1.456
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas F1 Team) – +1.548
17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +1.907
18. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull Racing) – +2.470
19. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +2.825
20. Oliver Bearman (Haas F1 Team) – +3.055
Implications for the Weekend and Future Sessions
Oscar Piastri’s dominance in FP1 sets a promising tone for McLaren as the Belgian GP weekend continues, especially given Max Verstappen’s difficulties and Norris’s off-track moment in this tense and demanding session. The introduction of the new Pirelli tire compounds adds an extra layer of complexity, and with many drivers showing early signs of instability, race pace strategy will be crucial.
With the Sprint qualifying scheduled for later Friday, teams must analyze this data carefully to optimize setup and tire choices. Verstappen’s reported RB21 issues and Hamilton’s handling problems suggest both drivers have work to do to improve their footing at the challenging Spa circuit. Meanwhile, stewards will review incidents such as George Russell’s near collision, which could result in penalties affecting race starting positions.
The Belgian GP promises uncertainty and excitement as the remaining practice sessions and qualifying unfold, with Piastri firmly in the spotlight after today’s standout performance.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Oscar Piastri a nice person?
A. This might be the first instance where Oscar Piastri, known for being a nice guy with a great attitude, appeared quite upset after the race. I completely understand why he felt that way. People around here would call his mood “grumpy.”
