Marco Rossi · F1 Correspondent
The Dutchman topped the first free practice session in Spa-Francorchamps with a 1:47.070 – but Ferrari stayed remarkably close over the 7.004 kilometres of the Ardennes rollercoaster.
The Spa-Francorchamps weekend traditionally opens with one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar: 7.004 kilometres, 19 corners, and weather that can change within minutes from Eau Rouge to the Bus Stop. In the first free practice ahead of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen set the benchmark in his Red Bull with a 1:47.070 – not a commanding margin, but unchallenged.
Ferrari Keeps the Gap Small
Behind Verstappen, Ferrari showed that its deficit to Red Bull over Spa’s long lap remains manageable. Lewis Hamilton was just 0.145 seconds slower in second place, while teammate Charles Leclerc followed 0.207 seconds back in third – Hamilton ahead of Leclerc, a result that shows how far the Briton has settled into the red cockpit by now.
It got even tighter right behind them: Isack Hadjar brought the second Red Bull home just 0.045 seconds behind Leclerc in fourth. Over the full distance of one of the longest circuits of the year, the top four are within roughly a quarter of a second of each other – a picture that could well shift in Saturday’s qualifying.
McLaren Off the Pace, Rookies Lead the Midfield
Things didn’t go to plan for McLaren in the opening session: Oscar Piastri was 0.452 seconds down in fifth, while Lando Norris trailed by a more significant 0.861 seconds in seventh, further back than his teammate. Wedged between them was Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes in sixth – a sign that McLaren’s usually strong pace wasn’t immediately on tap this Friday morning.
Further back, it was the rookies who drew the most attention: Arvid Lindblad brought his Racing Bulls home in ninth, just 0.172 seconds ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi in tenth – both ahead of established names like Nico Hülkenberg (twelfth) and Oliver Bearman (thirteenth). For a single practice session with varying programmes and fuel loads, that shouldn’t be read into too heavily, but it does show how tightly the midfield is bunched at Spa.
Looking Ahead to Saturday and Sunday
At the bottom of the timesheet, Aston Martin had a difficult morning: Lance Stroll finished the session 21st, more than five and a half seconds behind Verstappen. His session team-mate wasn’t Fernando Alonso, but rookie Jak Crawford, who rounded out the field 6.129 seconds off the pace.
Results from the first free practice carry limited weight given the different fuel loads and programmes – but on a circuit like Spa-Francorchamps, where every tenth of a second adds up over more than seven kilometres, small differences stand out all the more. If the close picture at the front between Red Bull and Ferrari holds up in Saturday’s qualifying, Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix could turn out closer than the championship standings between the two teams would suggest.
