Second Free Practice Report & Results 2026 Belgian F1 Grand Prix
Event: Belgian Grand Prix
Track: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit
Weather: dry 24°C / 76°F
Tarmac: dry 31°C / 88°F
Humidity : 40%
Wind : 4.6 km/h North West
Pressure: 966 mbar
Antonelli Hits Back to Lead Spa FP2
Kimi Antonelli ended Friday practice on top at Spa-Francorchamps, answering Max Verstappen’s FP1 benchmark with the fastest lap of a disrupted second session for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver produced a 1m45.944s on the soft tyre to beat Lando Norris by 0.190s, with Verstappen 0.472s off the pace in third. Pierre Gasly’s heavy late crash effectively ended the meaningful running, although the session was briefly resumed to allow practice starts.
Antonelli transforms Mercedes’ Friday
Mercedes had made an unspectacular start to the weekend, with Antonelli sixth and George Russell eighth in FP1. That picture changed almost immediately in the afternoon.
Antonelli’s opening 1m46.911s on the medium tyre was already quicker than Verstappen’s FP1 benchmark. Once fitted with the softs, the Italian found almost another second and established a target none of his rivals could match.
Norris came closest, but his performance carries an important qualification. The McLaren driver faces a ten-place grid penalty on Sunday after exceeding his permitted power-unit allocation. His raw pace remains significant, but even a strong qualifying result will not translate into an equivalent starting position.
Verstappen completed an encouraging Friday for Red Bull after leading the opening session. His FP2 was not entirely smooth, however, with the Dutchman launching an angry radio complaint about the car’s downshifts during the early running.
Antonelli therefore holds the Friday benchmark, although FP3 still offers the teams one final opportunity to adjust their cars before qualifying.
Russell struggles as Antonelli attacks
Antonelli’s pace made Russell’s performance particularly difficult to explain.
The Briton finished eighth in both sessions and was more than a second slower than his team-mate during the qualifying simulations. He appeared hesitant when the Mercedes began moving beneath him, especially on corner exit, where he was slower to return to the throttle.
Rather than one obvious mistake ruining his lap, Russell looked unable to extract confidence from the car throughout the circuit. The contrast across the Mercedes garage was stark: Antonelli attacked, while Russell appeared to withdraw whenever the balance became less predictable.
Tyre preparation or set-up differences may have contributed, but the deficit was too large to dismiss. FP3 will be important for Russell, who needs to recover both lap time and confidence before qualifying begins.
Gasly crash leaves Alpine with repair job
Alpine experienced both extremes during FP2.
Franco Colapinto produced one of the session’s standout midfield performances by taking seventh, ahead of Russell. It represented a sharp improvement after both Alpine drivers had struggled during the opening practice hour.
Gasly’s session ended far less positively. The Frenchman lost the rear of his car through Fagnes and struck the barriers heavily with the front-right corner. The Alpine then spun into further contact at the rear, damaging the rear wing and rear corner while scattering debris across the run-off area.
Gasly climbed from the car unaided and was checked after the Medical Car was deployed. His mechanics now face a substantial overnight rebuild before Saturday’s FP3 session.
The accident caused the second red flag of FP2. The first had followed gravel being dragged onto the racing line, but neither interruption prevented the leading drivers from completing their main soft-tyre laps.
Piastri loses valuable track time
Oscar Piastri started FP2 19 minutes late while McLaren completed repairs following the hydraulic problem that curtailed his FP1 running.
The Australian eventually recovered to sixth, although his soft-tyre attempt lacked the precision of Norris’s lap. Piastri lost considerable time through the middle sector and was left playing catch-up throughout the session.
McLaren can take confidence from Norris’s speed, but Piastri’s interrupted programme leaves the team with less complete data ahead of FP3. At Spa, where finding the right compromise between straight-line speed and downforce is critical, that lost running could prove costly.
Ferrari remains difficult to judge
Ferrari stayed in touch with the leading group without producing a fully representative result.
Lewis Hamilton again appeared competitive after finishing second in FP1, while Charles Leclerc ended FP2 in 11th after losing his quickest lap for exceeding track limits.
That deletion leaves Ferrari’s position difficult to assess from the classification alone. Hamilton’s pace across Friday suggests the team remains involved, but FP3 should provide a clearer indication of whether Ferrari can challenge Mercedes and Red Bull over a qualifying lap.
Grid penalties reshape Sunday picture
Norris is not the only driver carrying a penalty into the weekend.
Lance Stroll will also lose ten grid places after taking additional power-unit components, while Isack Hadjar is set to start from the back of the grid after exceeding his allocation more extensively.
Those penalties will distort Sunday’s starting order regardless of what happens in qualifying, particularly if Norris and Hadjar continue to demonstrate competitive pace.
For Antonelli and Verstappen, however, the immediate focus remains Saturday. One topped FP1, the other FP2, and neither has yet established a decisive advantage.
Friday leaves Spa battle wide open
Friday produced two different session leaders and no settled team hierarchy.
Verstappen began the weekend fastest, Antonelli responded emphatically in FP2 and Norris placed McLaren within two tenths of the benchmark despite his impending penalty. Ferrari has yet to show its full position, while Russell and Piastri both have obvious room to improve.
Antonelli leaves Friday with the fastest lap and the strongest final impression. It is a useful statement, not a final verdict. FP3 remains to be run, and at Spa-Francorchamps the competitive order can change almost as quickly as the weather.
FP2 Times Table 2026 Belgian GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | Laps | Tyres |
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:45.944 | 18 | S |
| 2 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.190s | 18 | S |
| 3 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.472s | 21 | S |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.747s | 16 | S |
| 5 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +0.770s | 20 | S |
| 6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.982s | 11 | S |
| 7 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.203s | 20 | S |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +1.285s | 20 | S |
| 9 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1.350s | 20 | S |
| 10 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.490s | 16 | S |
| 11 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.524s | 18 | S |
| 12 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.848s | 16 | S |
| 13 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +2.008s | 17 | S |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +2.014s | 19 | S |
| 15 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | +2.075s | 19 | S |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +2.312s | 19 | S |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | +2.389s | 16 | S |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +3.011s | 15 | M |
| 19 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +3.255s | 19 | S |
| 20 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | +3.652s | 20 | S |
| 21 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +5.187s | 17 | S |
| 22 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +5.474s | 19 | S |
The quickest sector times during this FP2 were:
- 30.536 sec. by Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes W17.
- 46.586 sec. by Lando Norris, McLaren MCL40.
- 28.462 sec. by Pierre Gasly, Alpine A526.
The quickest lap time of two years ago during FP2 was a 1:42,260 min, set by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL38.
Check out our: 2026 Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.
What's Your Next F1 Grand Prix Podium Prediction?
São Paulo Grand PrixSao Paulo · round 20 of 23The Predictor F1-Fansite data model
Championship form and recent form. The starting grid joins in after qualifying, then the chances update.
Kimi AntonelliMercedes · #1235%to win
Max VerstappenRed Bull · #316%to win
Lewis HamiltonFerrari · #4412%to winWho's on the podium?
Pick your top 3, then drag the number (or use the arrows) to set the order. You can edit until the race starts.
Scoring: 3 pts for a driver in the exact spot, 1 pt for the right driver in the wrong spot. A perfect podium earns the Oracle badge.
A free account locks it in. We keep your picks while you sign up.
Everyone's picks stay hidden until lights out, so no one can copy.
All 22 drivers: win, podium and points chances
| # | Driver | Win | Podium | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi AntonelliMercedes | 35% | 78% | 100% | P1 in the championship · 4 podiums in the last 5 |
| 2 | Max VerstappenRed Bull | 16% | 48% | 99% | P2 in the championship · 5 podiums in the last 5 |
| 3 | Lewis HamiltonFerrari | 12% | 39% | 98% | P3 in the championship · 2 podiums in the last 5 |
| 4 | Charles LeclercFerrari | 11% | 38% | 98% | P5 in the championship · 2 podiums in the last 5 |
| 5 | George RussellMercedes | 6.5% | 23% | 92% | P4 in the championship · 1 podium in the last 5 |
| 6 | Lando NorrisMcLaren | 5.4% | 20% | 87% | P6 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF |
| 7 | Oscar PiastriMcLaren | 2.9% | 11% | 68% | P7 in the championship · no podium in the last 5 |
| 8 | Isack HadjarRed Bull | 2.3% | 9.7% | 66% | P8 in the championship · 1 podium in the last 5 |
| 9 | Liam LawsonRacing Bulls | 1.9% | 7.1% | 52% | P9 in the championship · no podium in the last 5 |
| 10 | Nico HülkenbergAudi | 0.9% | 3.1% | 28% | P15 in the championship · no podium in the last 5 |
| 11 | Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls | 0.7% | 2.9% | 27% | P11 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF |
| 12 | Ryo HirakawaHaas | 0.6% | 2.2% | 18% | P21 in the championship · no podium in the last 1 |
| 13 | Pierre GaslyAlpine | 0.6% | 2.5% | 22% | P10 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF |
| 14 | Oliver BearmanHaas | 0.6% | 2.1% | 20% | P13 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 2 DNFs |
| 15 | Sergio PérezCadillac | 0.6% | 1.6% | 14% | P22 in the championship · no podium in the last 5 |
| 16 | Fernando AlonsoAston Martin | 0.5% | 1.9% | 16% | P16 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 2 DNFs |
| 17 | Franco ColapintoAlpine | 0.5% | 1.8% | 16% | P12 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 3 DNFs |
| 18 | Carlos SainzWilliams | 0.4% | 2.1% | 19% | P17 in the championship · no podium in the last 5 |
| 19 | Gabriel BortoletoAudi | 0.4% | 2.0% | 20% | P14 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF |
| 20 | Lance StrollAston Martin | 0.4% | 1.5% | 14% | P24 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 3 DNFs |
| 21 | Alex AlbonWilliams | 0.3% | 1.3% | 13% | P19 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 3 DNFs |
| 22 | Valtteri BottasCadillac | 0.3% | 1.0% | 11% | P23 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 3 DNFs |
Podium = chance of a top-three finish, Points = chance of a top-ten. Rounded; the win column adds up to 100%.
Season standings · 2026
How the Predictor works
No bookmakers, no odds: every number comes from the F1-Fansite results database. Each driver gets a strength score from the factors below; the race is then simulated 10,000 times and we count how often each driver wins, finishes on the podium or scores points. It does not know about weather or reliability, and it says so. Grid penalties count as soon as the official starting grid is in.
Before qualifying the model is honest about the odds: three or four candidates share most of the chance. After qualifying the grid takes over and the call sharpens.
Calibration this season: when it said 8%, it happened 5% of the time; when it said 16%, it happened 6% of the time.
5 F1 Fan comments on “Second Free Practice Report & Results 2026 Belgian F1 Grand Prix”
💬 Join the conversation — see the latest comments from F1 fans →
The same story regarding the back section with Blanchimont & Gasly’s rear loss was weird.
P3 quali last year 1.40.561
watching glorious spa today , i wonder why the Arab sand tracks are called "great tracks" spa has everything and always did have
Nothing beats an old-school circuit that follows the landscape instead of being carved into it. We should have more circuits with much more elevation. Do you know the old Charade circuit in France? That's also a great one, that should be on the calendar.
never knew it as a track but Not completely unlike the shape of the spa track oddly