Belgian Grand Prix Pre-Race Insights

This weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, one of the hot topics in the paddock is Oscar Piastri and how he will respond after the disappointment at the British Grand Prix. Piastri had been leading the pack during safety car periods but found himself handed a 10-second penalty when his teammate, Lando Norris, maneuvered to take the checkered flag ahead of him.

If the lone practice session is any indication, Piastri seems ready for a strong comeback.

The Australian driver topped the timing charts with a lap time of 1:42.022. In contrast, Norris, who is Piastri’s main contender in the championship race, trailed by over half a second, clocking in at 0.504 seconds behind his McLaren teammate.

Ferrari, meanwhile, has rolled out a new rear suspension for this race after implementing a new floor during the Austrian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc finished in fifth place, with Lewis Hamilton right behind him at seventh.

As for George Russell, despite the ongoing speculation about his future with Mercedes—something that, one might think, would keep him up at night—he managed to secure fourth place. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, slotted in between the Ferraris with a sixth-place finish. Aston Martin’s pairing of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso wrapped up the top ten, finishing eighth and ninth respectively, while Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten.

Now, the teams and drivers will rapidly shift focus, as qualifying for the F1 Sprint is just hours away.

Full Results from Belgian Grand Prix FP1