Antonelli Tops Twice-Red-Flagged FP2 at Spa
Kimi Antonelli set the pace in Free Practice 2 with a 1:45.944 on soft tyres, ahead of Lando Norris (0.190s behind) and Max Verstappen (0.472s back). Two red flags interrupted the session; gravel-clearing stoppages compromised long-run data, though Antonelli's short stint showed strong race consistency. Practice pace is purely indicative.
FP2 Classification and Best Lap Times
Kimi Antonelli finished fastest in Free Practice 2, the Mercedes driver heading McLaren's Lando Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. [1]
| Pos | Driver | Team | Best Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:45.944 | , |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:46.134 | +0.190s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:46.416 | +0.472s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:46.691 | +0.747s |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:46.714 | +0.770s |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:46.926 | +0.982s |
| 7 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:47.147 | +1.203s |
| 8 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:47.229 | +1.285s |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:47.294 | +1.350s |
| 10 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:47.434 | +1.490s |
Session Summary
Despite rain showers hitting the Spa-Francorchamps circuit between Friday's two one-hour sessions, FP2 was held on a completely dry track and in sunny conditions. [1] The session was red-flagged twice due to gravel on track and a late crash for Pierre Gasly. [1]
Antonelli became the first driver to dip below the 1m 46s barrier, setting a 1m 45.944s. [1] Antonelli initially led on the medium compound with a 1:46.911, already quicker than the benchmark set by Verstappen in the opening session, then found almost another second on the C4 soft tyre, lowering the fastest time of the weekend to 1:45.944. [3]
Oscar Piastri was delayed by 20 minutes as his McLaren was being rebuilt in the garage due to a hydraulic leak. [1]
Red Flags and Incidents
Antonelli occupied top spot for much of the session, which was red-flagged twice due to gravel on track and a late crash for Pierre Gasly. [1] The first red flag was innocuous enough and called out for gravel on the circuit; the second was produced by Pierre Gasly's crash in the final 15 minutes of the session, which interrupted the teams' long runs. [2] The Alpine driver lost the rear out of Les Fagnes, then clipped the outside wall with the rear of the car to dispense with his rear wing. [2]
Long-Run and Race Pace
Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes showed fine form with a short but consistent long run, with all four laps separated by less than three tenths of a second, posting 1m51.511s. [4] He was complaining of an edgy car in FP1, but Mercedes made "massive changes" between sessions and he felt much better in FP2. [4]
Ferrari remains the big unknown as Charles Leclerc was only a lap into his long run when the red flag was flown, while Lewis Hamilton hadn't even properly started his. [4]
Related reading
[1]: Formula1.com – 2026 Belgian Grand Prix FP2 report [2]: The Race – F1 2026 Belgian Grand Prix practice results [3]: Total Motorsport – Belgian GP 2026 FP2 results [4]: The Race – What we took from disrupted Belgian GP long run picture
- [1]2026 Belgian Grand Prix FP2 report and highlights (formula1). Accessed 2026-07-18.
- [2]What we took from disrupted Belgian GP long run picture (the-race). Accessed 2026-07-18.
- [3]F1 2026 Belgian Grand Prix practice results (the-race). Accessed 2026-07-18.
- [4]What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 F1 Belgian GP (autosport). Accessed 2026-07-18.