Kimi Antonelli Tops Belgian GP FP2 as Red Flags Disrupt Spa Practice

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, July 17, 2026: Kimi Antonelli continued Mercedes’ impressive form by setting the fastest time in Free Practice 2 for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Friday. The young Italian clocked a best lap of 1:45.944 to finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a session interrupted by two red flags.

With cooler track temperatures of 33.7°C, drivers began the one-hour session on medium tyres. Antonelli quickly established himself at the top of the timing screens with an early benchmark before improving significantly after switching to the soft-compound tyres.

His fastest lap proved unbeatable, with Norris finishing just 0.190 seconds adrift in second place, while Verstappen ended the session 0.472 seconds behind the Mercedes driver in third.

Lewis Hamilton delivered another encouraging performance for Ferrari to finish fourth, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar completed the top five.

Championship contender Oscar Piastri endured a difficult start after missing much of the opening half of the session due to McLaren completing repairs following a hydraulic issue suffered during FP1. The Australian eventually joined the action 19 minutes into the session and recovered well to finish sixth after completing just 11 laps.

The first interruption came when gravel was dragged onto the racing line, forcing race control to display the red flag while marshals cleared the circuit. Once the session resumed, most teams bolted on the soft tyres for qualifying simulations.

A second and more significant red flag was caused by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who lost control through Fagnes after Turn 13. The Frenchman spun into the barriers, damaging the rear of his car and losing a rear tyre before coming to a halt on the circuit. Gasly emerged unhurt, but the incident effectively ended the competitive running with only two minutes remaining, leaving enough time only for installation laps and practice starts.

Franco Colapinto impressed with seventh place for Alpine, while George Russell was eighth in the second Mercedes. Racing Bulls also enjoyed a productive session as Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.

Charles Leclerc finished 11th after having his quickest lap deleted for exceeding track limits. Oliver Bearman placed 12th for Haas ahead of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz. Nico Hülkenberg finished 17th, followed by Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez and the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

With Mercedes showing impressive single-lap pace and McLaren and Red Bull close behind, qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix promises to be a tightly contested battle at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

2026 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 Results