Kimi Antonelli Leads Belgian Grand Prix FP2 Ahead of Norris and Verstappen

Antonelli sets the pace at Spa

Kimi Antonelli topped Free Practice 2 for the Belgian Grand Prix, putting Mercedes ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a session shaped by two red flags and a late crash for Pierre Gasly.

The session followed Max Verstappen’s FP1-leading performance at Spa, but the afternoon’s dry and sunny conditions produced a different order at the front. Rain showers had fallen between the two Friday sessions, yet the track was completely dry when the pit lane opened at 17:00 local time.

Mercedes and McLaren emerge strongly

Russell struggled to match his team-mate throughout the session. His second effort left him more than a second slower, while he later improved only to seventh during the qualifying simulations. “The rears felt too cold, but not 1.2s cold,” Russell reported over team radio.

Hadjar was the first driver to switch to the soft tyre after the opening stoppage and briefly moved to the top with a 1m 46.714s. Verstappen and Antonelli then improved, with Antonelli becoming the first driver under the 1m 46s barrier. Norris subsequently moved into second, two-tenths behind the Mercedes.

Red flags interrupt the long-run phase

The first stoppage came after Verstappen ran wide and dragged gravel onto the circuit near Turn 14. The second arrived in the final 15 minutes when Gasly crashed heavily at Turn 13, bringing his Alpine to a halt with substantial rear damage.

Although the track reopened with two minutes remaining, there were no further improvements. Antonelli therefore led Norris and Verstappen, followed by Hamilton, Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri. Franco Colapinto was seventh ahead of Russell, while Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top 10.