Friday’s Formula 1 action at Spa-Francorchamps concluded with Kimi Antonelli on top, Lando Norris confirmed among those penalized for the race, and a major crash involving Pierre Gasly. The first day of the Belgian Grand Prix also saw Max Verstappen leading TL1 and Gabriel Bortoleto seeking progress with Audi.
Antonelli reacted after a difficult start from Mercedes and dominated TL2 with a 1:45.944, the only time under 1:46. Norris was 0.190 seconds off, followed by Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Isack Hadjar, while George Russell finished only eighth. The championship leader explained that significant changes between sessions improved the car and pointed to a positive direction for the rest of the weekend.
Despite finishing second in TL2, Norris already knew he would drop ten positions on the starting grid for using the fourth electronic component of the power unit. McLaren chose to serve the Spa penalty here, considering the track more favorable to overtaking than the Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix. Hadjar will start from the back of the grid after power unit component changes, while Lance Stroll also received a penalty.
TL2 was halted after Gasly lost the rear end of the Alpine in the Fagnes chicane and slammed heavily into the barrier. The French driver emerged unscathed, but the car sustained significant damage, including the loss of the rear wing and the rear-right tire. By contrast, Franco Colapinto finished seventh and showed a more competitive pace for the team.
Among the Brazilians, Bortoleto described the day as productive after finishing TL1 in tenth and TL2 in 13th, with a focus on data analysis before qualifying. Off the track, Ayao Komatsu praised Rafael Câmara’s work, currently third in Formula 2, but denied that Ferrari is pressuring Haas to hire him in 2027.
