Verstappen Fastest In Belgian GP Practice, First Session Win Of 2026 For Red Bull
Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton by 0.148 seconds as Red Bull’s switch back to an older rear wing still delivered the fastest lap.
- On Friday, Max Verstappen topped the opening practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, clocking a 1:47.070 despite concerns that reverting to an older rear wing would result in a "slower car."
- Red Bull ditched the experimental "Macarena" rear wing for a conventional design after Verstappen suffered back-to-back high-speed crashes at the Austrian and British grands prix caused by failures with the previous wing.
- Verstappen outpaced Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 0.148s, with Charles Leclerc third, marking the first time this season a non-Mercedes or Ferrari-powered car has led a practice session.
- McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished fifth after managing a late hydraulic issue, while Aston Martin rookies Lance Stroll and Jak Crawford finished at the bottom of the order, with Stroll over five seconds off the pace.
- Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished sixth as Mercedes trailed rivals, while Isack Hadjar claimed fourth-fastest but faces a back-of-the-grid start on Sunday due to power unit component changes.
37 Articles
37 Articles
The Herald Scotland
The IndependentMax Verstappen fastest in first practice in Belgium
Verstappen held off Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton as Red Bull finally found some pace in a difficult season.
The Dutchman signed the best time of the first free practice session at Spa-Francorchamps, ahead of the Ferraris and his French teammate Isack Hadjar.
Verstappen back on top in opening practice at Belgian Grand Prix
The four-time world champion had suffered high-speed crashes at the Austrian and British events in recent weeks and clearly relished running with Red Bull's usual rear wing instead of a much-maligned experimental one he said was very dangerous. Verstappen clocked a best lap in one minute and 47.070 seconds to outpace seven-time champion Hamilton by 0.145 seconds with Charles Leclerc third in the second Ferrari, ahead of Isack Hadjar in the seco…
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