Verstappen Outpaces Hamilton and Leclerc in Spa's First Practice

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the first free practice session ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix in Formula 1.

During the opening 60-minute session at Spa, the Dutch Red Bull driver clocked a 1:47.070 on Pirelli's soft tires. He outpaced Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc by 0.145 and 0.207 seconds, respectively, both of whom also set their best times on the soft compound for the Ardennes weekend.

Red Bull's second driver, Isaak Hadjar, and last year's Spa winner, Oscar Piastri, finished fourth and fifth, trailing Verstappen by 0.252 and 0.452 seconds. Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli started the tenth round of the season with the sixth-fastest time, 0.533 seconds adrift, while his teammate and closest rival, George Russell, secured eighth place.

The two Mercedes drivers were separated by world champion Lando Norris, who had a slower start to the practice session. In the first half of the session, the Briton focused on aerodynamic testing with special sensors, with his first flying lap coming just before the halfway mark.

Jack Crawford also participated in the first 60-minute practice at Spa, replacing Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin team. The American finished in last position, 6.129 seconds behind Verstappen and 0.391 seconds behind his teammate Lance Stroll.

The first free practice session in Belgium passed without any significant incidents. Towards the very end of the session, Piastri was instructed by McLaren to stop his car on track, which the Australian did at the end of the Kemmel Straight. However, he almost immediately received permission to continue at low speed due to a loss of hydraulic pressure. Ultimately, Piastri managed to return to the pits, avoiding a red flag in the final seconds of the session.

The Belgian Grand Prix weekend, the tenth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season, will continue later today at 6:00 PM Bulgarian time with the second free practice session at Spa.