Max Verstappen quickest in Belgian GP practice as Lewis Hamilton endures tough day

• Verstappen quickest in FP2, 0.8sec ahead of Leclerc and Norris

• But Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Ocon, Bottas and Schumacher will take hefty grid penalties

• How Mercedes bounced back from delivering a pre-season dud

• Audi to enter Formula 1 in 2026 – but partner team remains a mystery ​

• Mid-season F1 driver ratings: Who needs to find form as season resumes?

No prizes for guessing who topped practice in Belgium on Friday. It may be four weeks since Formula One’s cars last turned their wheels in anger, but Red Bull’s Max Verstappen picked up where he left off in Hungary, topping the timesheets at Spa-Francorchamps by eight tenths of a second from Ferraris’ Charles Leclerc at a typically wet and gloomy Spa.

Such is the Dutchman’s superiority at the moment - Verstappen holds a whopping 80-point lead over Leclerc in the drivers’ championship, with his own Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez next best placed - the main question here in Belgium is not whether anyone can catch him before the end of the season, but where he will be crowned champion for a second time. The smart money is on Japan, with four races remaining. Or Austin with three.

One thing is clear, if anyone is to halt Verstappen's title charge, they need to get a wriggle on.

His rivals do have a small glimmer of hope this weekend. Verstappen may have the quickest car, but he will not be starting from the front of the grid on Sunday regardless of how well he does in qualifying on Saturday. A penalty triggered for using too many engine parts means he must start from the back of the field. The problem is, so will five other drivers. Including Leclerc.

It remains to be seen in what order those six cars will line up, but it is difficult to see how Leclerc can win from there. Which means it is a big weekend for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, and Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. They simply have to capitalise on Verstappen and Leclerc’s penalties. At 102, 100 and 112 points behind Verstappen respectively, all three are almost certainly out of title contention already. But a win on Sunday, combined with a DNF or a poor result for Verstappen, would at least allow them to continue dreaming.

Of the three, Sainz looks the most likely to do it. Although over a second slower than Verstappen in qualifying trim, the race-simulation runs later in the session suggested the cars were a lot more evenly matched. Verstappen was quickest again - but only 0.3secs quicker than Sainz on average on the medium tyre.

Having picked up the first victory of his career at the British Grand Prix last month, the Spaniard will be kicking himself if he does not grab this chance of taking a second. Especially with Mercedes looking a little out of sorts.

Having arrived here in such a positive mood, fresh from their best result of the season in Hungary just before lockdown, Friday provided a reality check of sorts. Hamilton and Russell were sixth and eighth fastest, 1.3sec and 1.5sec off Verstappen’s pace respectively.

“The gap to Max and the Ferraris is pretty extravagant,” admitted Russell, who was on the radio mid-session complaining that he was struggling to get any heat into his tyres in the cold, damp Ardennes. It is an issue which has plagued Mercedes all season. “I’m not sure we can find the performance we can find in the last race, but we’ll all be working flat out tonight and conditions are very different tomorrow,” Russell added.

He may not have sounded all that optimistic, but in warmer, drier weather this weekend, Russell will be looking for the first win of his career here in Belgium. Hamilton will be looking for the 104th.

The seven-time champion has not won a race since Saudi Arabia last year, but he is not going to get a much better opportunity to break his duck this season than with Verstappen and Leclerc having to fight their way through from the back of the field and with a brand new (legal) engine of his own. He knows what an opportunity this is, and tried to sound positive last night.

“It doesn’t feel disastrous,” Hamilton said of the sensations he was getting from the car. “We’re just a long way off [pace-wise]. But we’ve found this before on a Friday and then things change a bit on Saturday, so I hope that’s the case again.”

So do all neutrals. That titanic battle between Hamilton and Verstappen, which so memorably went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi last December, suddenly feels like a very long time ago. Verstappen is heading inexorably towards title No 2. If the Dutchman roars through the field on Sunday and finishes on the podium, or even wins - and he may well do, there is a reason Red Bull chose to take their engine penalty here at Spa, one of the best tracks of the season in terms of overtaking opportunities - his rivals might as well give up. Especially with his home race up next weekend in Zandvoort where the orange-festooned army will be willing him around the track with their positive vibes.

It is almost certainly too late already, but if anyone is to stand any chance of stopping Verstappen this season, they simply must seize the moment here at Spa.

Belgium Grand Prix practice, as it happened

05:00 PM

FP1 ends - Classification

1. VER 1:45.507

2. LEC +0.862

3. NOR +1.082

4. STR +1.128

5. SAI +1.142

6. HAM +1.386

7. ALO +1.468

8. RUS +1.535

9. RIC +1.748

10. PER +1.839

11. ALB +2.013

12. ZHO +2.110

13. TSU +2.151

14. GAS +2.275

15. VET +2.360

16. OCO +2.437

17. MAG +2.701

18. BOT +2.912

19. LAT +3.105

20. MSC +4.434

04:59 PM

FP2 - Vettel comes out for an exploratory lap on the wets

Not sure why. But why not? He won't have many more chances to drive F1 cars after this season. Well, not at Grand Prix weekends, anyway.

04:54 PM

FP2 - Five minutes remain

That is likely going to be it, I think. No cars out on the slippery track at the moment.

04:53 PM

FP2 - It is still raining a bit...

...but nobody has gone out n the mediums. Mick Schumacher has gone into the gravel trap at the start of the second sector but manages to keep going. he's currently way down in 20th and last. Kept it out of the barrier, though.

04:50 PM

FP2 - Top 10

1. VER 1:45.507

2. LEC +0.862

3. NOR +1.082

4. STR +1.128

5. SAI +1.142

6. HAM +1.386

7. ALO +1.468

8. RUS +1.535

9. RIC +1.748

10. PER +1.839

04:48 PM

FP2 -  11 mins remain and it's time for the long runs

So the order isn't going to change much now. Perez did move up to 10th with his first run for a while...

Some yellow flags now, but I don't think anyone has biffed it into the barriers. Possibly a spinner in the damper conditions. Rain is getting heavier, which may bring about a premature end to any meaningful running.

04:44 PM

FP2 - A few spits and spots of rain now at Spa

The ponchos going on in the crowd. Nothing too heavy at the moment.

04:42 PM

FP2 - Stroll doing well again

He was fifth in FP1 and is again well ahead of Vettel. Perez is now on track, it was a hydraulic leak that caused a DRS problem, Sky Sports F1 report.

04:39 PM

FP2 - Not sure if there's a problem with Perez

He has only done seven laps, but this is often the case for Red Bull. They do not run all that much in some sessions.  George Russell has improved with a more representative lap but is still 1.5s off the pace.

04:37 PM

FP2 - Verstappen has six tenths (!!!) on the second fastest sector two time

The gap to Leclerc is similar in sector one and a couple of tenths in sector three. Perez is down in 16th but has yet to complete a soft tyre run.

Ominous? Hmmm. Not sure. But it is certainly encouraging for Verstappen. He'll be starting from near the back anyway.

04:32 PM

FP2 - Top 10 with 29 mins left

1. VER 1:45.507

2. LEC +0.862

3. NOR +1.082

4. STR +1.128

5. SAI +1.142

6. HAM +1.386

7. RIC +1.748

8. ALB +2.013

9. ZHO +2.110

10. RUS +2.345

04:30 PM

FP2 - What does Hamilton do?

It's not going to be good enough for the top two. He ends up fifth, behind even Stroll and 1.386s off the pace. Russell has just had his lap time deleted, so is now in 8th.

04:28 PM

FP2 - Sainz sets a 1:46.649...

...but Verstappen beats that by 1.142s, with the fastest sector times in sectors two and three. Rapid.

04:27 PM

FP2 - Russell into third

But 1.002s off the pace. Sainz has just gone fastest in sector two, but Verstappen goes even better...

04:26 PM

FP2 - Verstappen leads the way with a 1:46.850

But that is going to change soon as the soft tyre runs get going.

Russell is doing his first one. He's nearly six-tenths down on Verstappen after two sectors...

04:25 PM

FP2 - Strange message from Leclerc to his team

He says he wants the "toggle sounds" on his steering wheel turned off because whenever he changes a setting he thinks it's the engine. Obviously a bit distracting. But would they not have been there before?

04:21 PM

FP2 - All quiet on track

Only Gasly currently out. Soft tyre qualifying simulation runs about to begin, which should give us a better idea of the pecking order.

04:18 PM

FP2 - Otmar Szafnauer has his say on Piastri's situation

"I just wish Oscar would have remembered what he signed in November and what he signed up to," he tells Sky Sports F1. Plenty of drivers interested in that potentially (and likely) vacant seat at Alpine. Who will end up there? Would Ricciardo go back? Would they gave him back?

04:15 PM

FP2 - Mercedes currently 9th and 16th with Hamilton and Russell

Russell does his best lap of the session, but both men are on the hard tyres, which explains some of their deficit.

He then complained about tyre warm-up. And then Hamilton locks up at the hairpin at La Source.

04:13 PM

FP2 - Here's an early Top 10

Verstappen has just gone fastest.

1. VER 1:46.928

2. SAI +0.462

3. LEC +1.224

4. PER +1.273

5. NOR +1.632

6. ZHO +1.672

7. ALO +1.924

8. HAM +1.929

9. STR +1.984

10. ALB +2.270

04:10 PM

FP2 - Sainz improves on his second run and goes fastest

He is three-tenths quicker than Verstappen. He runs a bit wide through Fagnes, though. "A bit of rallying," he says.

Verstappen going very slowly through Raidillon. His tear off is stuck in the rear suspension and he is trying to get it out. He's back on the pace now, though.

04:06 PM

FP2 - Sainz a bit annoyed at Vettel on his first hot lap

He had just gone fastest in the middle sector and crosses the line with a 1:48.818. Verstappen is now the fastest driver in the first two sectors and will surely smash Sainz's time?

Yes, he does, by 1.119s. Perez in third and Albon fourth but very early days yet and the lap times are not really worth noting too much. Leclerc locks up at the end of the Kemmel straight, going straight on.

04:04 PM

FP2 - 56 mins remain

Currently 16 drivers on track as both Mercedes come out. Still a few damp patches but everyone on dry tyres.

04:00 PM

GREEN LIGHT: FP2 begins!

Not much running for Bottas or Ocon in the opening session, so imagine they will be keen to get out for plenty of running.

03:54 PM

FP2 begins in just over five minutes

The first session started with a few drivers on inters and it may well be the same this session.

03:48 PM

Weather update

It's still quite grey but isn't raining. It rained and was quite wet for the F3 qualifying session that finished a short while ago.

03:47 PM

There is always the chance for some great photos at Spa

02:14 PM

A surprise to see Lance Stroll up there?

Maybe, maybe not - it was just first practice. I think a possible chance of more rain before/during FP2, though, again we will see. That starts in just under a couple of hours at 4pm BST. I'll be back for that at about 3.30pm.

02:05 PM

FP1 - classification

1. SAI 1:46.538

2. LEC +0.069

3. VER +0.217

4. RUS +0.858

5. STR +0.899

6. ALB +1.297

7. RIC +1.543

8. TSU 1.772

9. HAM +1.882

10. PER +1.936

11. LAT +1.947

12. ZHO +1.234

13. NOR +2.932

14. ALO +3.126

15. VET +3.275

16. OCO +3.777

17. MAG +4.444

18. MSC +4.721

19. LAW +5.527

20. BOT (no time)

02:02 PM

FP1 ends - Sainz quickest

Very much a classic FP1 session: not real idea what to make of it.

01:59 PM

FP1 - That is not the end of the running

Daniel Ricciardo has been brave enough to go out on the intermediate tyres. Chance of wet running for the tomorrow, so maybe it's worth an exploratory lap or two just to try it out? There have been some modifications made to the track since we last visited.

01:57 PM

FP1 - Four minutes remain

And it is raining fairly steadily in the final sector, so that will almost certainly be how the current order ends up... and probably the end of the running for the session. Not that there's that long left.

01:56 PM

FP1 - Fairly busy out there on track at the moment

That is what you would expect. You'd have to say that with Verstappen and Leclerc taking hefty penalties, then this could be a chance for Mercedes to take victory... if they can get their car in the window. In Hungary last time out both Russell and Hamilton finished ahead of two Ferraris and one Red Bull (Perez).

01:53 PM

FP1 - Session resumes with a little under 10 mins remaining

Verstappen is told there is a risk of a shower in that time. The two Ferraris leading the way at the moment, followed by Verstappen and Russell. Hamilton in ninth.

01:48 PM

FP1 - Haas: "We believe the stop is down to a High Voltage System issue"

Hopefully it won't be too long before the action resumes. Should get about 10 minutes running, I would have thought.

01:46 PM

FP1 - 15 mins remain

We are still under a red flag as the recovery truck removes Magnussen's Haas. It sounded like he lost power and it conked out on the way into turn one. There is an electrical issue with the car meaning that it is not safe to touch unless big insulating gloves are worn, which is making things a bit difficult.

01:44 PM

FP1 - Full order under the red flag

1. SAI 1:46.538

2. LEC +0.069

3. VER +0.217

4. RUS +0.858

5. STR +0.899

6. ALB +1.297

7. RIC +1.543

8. TSU +1.772

9. HAM +1.882

10. PER +1.936

11. LAT +1.947

12. ZHO +2.134

13. NOR +2.932

14. ALO +3.126

15. VET +3.275

16. OCO +3.777

17. MAG +4.444

18. MSC +4.721

19. LAW +5.527

20. BOT (no time)

01:39 PM

FP1 - RED FLAG

Those yellow flags inevitably turn into red flags as the stricken Haas car will have to be removed. It's actually Magnussen that has stopped. He has stopped next to the inside barrier on the run up to Eau Rouge.

Leclerc had just gone second, 0.069s behind leader Leclerc.

01:37 PM

FP1 - Still no sign of Bottas yet, since his opening two laps

We have yellow flags. Looks like Mick Schumacher has stopped after turn one.

01:34 PM

FP1 - Sainz and Russell both on hot laps

Sainz is 0.175s faster than Verstappen after two sectors and crosses the line just over two-tenths up to go fastest. Russell does his best lap of the day but that is still 0.858s slower than Sainz's best.

01:30 PM

FP1 - Top 10

1. VER 1:46.755

2. ALB +1.357

3. HAM +1.665

4. PER +1.719

5. LEC +2.262

6. SAI +2.343

7. RUS +2.376

8. RIC +2.670

9. NOR +2.715

10. ALO+2.909

01:29 PM

FP1 - Looks like Ocon could be out of the session

He's certainly out of his car.

01:25 PM

FP1 - Hamilton up into second on his latest run

On the medium tyres, he goes 1.665s slower than Verstappen. Lawson the only driver who has done double figures of laps.

01:22 PM

A fair few drivers are taking grid penalties which means they will start from the back

Of course, not all of them can start from the actual back. But it'll just be towards the back, then. Anyway, here they are:  Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Ocon, Bottas and Schumacher.

01:20 PM

FP1 - Bottas the only driver not to set a lap time

He has done two laps, but has just jumped out of his Alfa Romeo, so that suggests something is up there.

01:18 PM

FP1 - Verstappen goes quicker again

This time with a 1:46.755, that puts him 2.3s ahead of Sainz in the Ferrari with Sergio Perez just behind him.

01:16 PM

FP1 - Top 10 as it stands

1. VER 1:47.456

2. RIC +1.969

3. NOR +2.014

4. ALO +2.208

5. RUS +2.334

6. LEC +2.745

7. SAI +2.60

8. OCO +2.859

9. OCO +2.859

10. VET  +3.358

Ocon says he has a problem. Not sure what it is.

01:12 PM

FP1 - Verstappen moves to the top of the timesheets...

...with a 1:47.456, a whole 2.256 seconds quicker than Lando Norris. Decent lap, that. Even at this early stage. He is on soft tyres, however.

01:11 PM

FP1 - Unsafe release in the pit lane from Williams

Verstappen has to take avoiding action. Lando Norris now quickest by 0.0603s from Esteban Ocon. Only nine drivers have set a representative lap time and pretty much everyone else on the dry tyres.

01:08 PM

FP1 - As it stands, Sainz is quickest

He is on the hard tyres and has set a 1:51.622s, which is now 0.050s quicker than team-mate Leclerc.

01:05 PM

FP1 - 56 mins remain

Reminder that Liam Lawson is running for AlphaTauri in the place of Pierre Gasly in this session.

01:02 PM

GREEN LIGHT: FP1 BEGINS

Still quite grey and cars do indeed go out on the intermediate tyres.

12:57 PM

Just a few minutes until first practice gets under way

It's an hour long, as usual.

12:51 PM

It's looking a bit damp and grey at Spa at the moment

A bit wet in places around the paddock and at the track, so it may well be intermediates for those first exploratory laps.

Also a reminder that there have been some modifications to the track this year. And also that Spa's place on the F1 calendar is in danger. Read more from Tom Cary here. 

12:44 PM

How Mercedes bounced back from delivering a pre-season dud

Mercedes have gradually worked their way back towards somewhere near competitive throughout the 2022 season. There is still some way to go, but with a raft of podiums in recent rounds and George Russell's pole position in Hungary, they are perhaps getting to the point where a win could be on the cards in the final nine rounds.

We spoke to Mercedes' trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin to get the inside track about the team's transition from world-beaters to near-midfield strugglers, and their development throughout the year.

Read the full interview here. 

12:33 PM

Audi to enter Formula 1 in 2026 – but partner team remains a mystery ​

Read Tom Cary's full news story here.  

12:28 PM

And the constructors' standings

Not impossible that Mercedes will challenge Ferrari for second in the standings.

12:20 PM

A reminder of the championship standings, starting with the drivers' top 10

12:13 PM

Leclerc to start from back of the grid

Bad news Ferrari fans: Charles Leclerc will start from the back of the grid this weekend after the fitting of a new power unit and gearbox. Spa is obviously a place where it is possible to overtake and he may well end up in the top four. You'd say it was another blow for his title hopes, but they have been beaten to a pulp over the last nine races anyway. Maybe a fresh PU gives him hopes of a Ferrari victory in Monza in two weeks' time?

You can only dream.

11:17 AM

Hello and welcome to our coverage for Friday practice for the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix

It seems like a long time ago that F1's summer break started after the Hungarian Grand Prix. It was in some ways, 27 days ago, which, in a 22-race long season is quite a significant amount of time. A lot has happened in that time, notably the announcement of Fernando Alonso's departure to Aston Martin for 2023 and an ongoing legal wrangle over who will take the vacant seat at Alpine. The French team say they have a contract with Australian former F2 champion Oscar Piastri but he says that he does not want to - and does not have a valid contract - with Alpine.

So, what is going on there, then? Well, with Daniel Ricciardo out of the way at McLaren for next season, that leaves a vacant space and that is where Piastri wants to go. Clearly, he and his management team believe they have signed a valid contract with McLaren and think that is the better bet. Where does that leave Alpine? Who knows, but the dispute is going to the contract recognition board next week. And team principal Otmar Szafnauer says that it could be the case that, with Piastri clearly not wanting to race for Alpine, it may need to go to the high court for compensation. That still leaves a vacant seat that could be filled by... Daniel Ricciardo? Mick Schumacher? Nico Hulkenberg? It is all very much up in the air and will likely get interesting in the next fornight.

Anyway, onto the racing and the state of the championship and, unfortunately, it's not looking all that competitive at the front. Or, at least, Max Verstappen's advantage is an enormous 80 points and Charles Leclerc could win each of the remaining nine rounds and with the fastest lap bonus point and still would not be guaranteed of winning the championship. In any case, there is little to suggest that Ferrari has its act together enough to start maximising their performances and Leclerc's three wins to Verstappen's eight sums up how the season has gone.

A bit further down the grid there are hopes that Mercedes may be able to compete for victory before the season is out. In fairness, there are a couple of instances where they have done that but have ultimately faded off the absolute pace. Hungary last time out was a good example of that: George Russell took pole position. He faded in the race but Lewis Hamilton came back to take second. That said, it was no match for Verstappen's Red Bull, the eventual winner.

Can Mercedes challenge here? Or in Holland next week? Or in Italy the week after? There is still some ground to make up to Red Bull and also Ferrari, but it is not out of the question.