The rain from the F2 qualifying passed and the F1 drivers were once again welcomed to another dry session. Free Practice 2 was another chance to learn the limits of the cars and the circuit, with some drivers maximising more than others. 

Problems for McLaren 

FP2 started as the countdown hit zero for 21 of our 22 drivers, with Oscar Piastri being stuck in the garage. The team worked hard to repair the hydraulic issues present in his McLaren, but this was damaging for the Australian, limiting his runtime around an already demanding circuit. In recent races, Piastri has struggled to keep up with the pace of the other front runners. Silverstone proved tricky for him, not being able to keep George Russell and Lewis Hamilton at bay for a lot of the race.

On the other side of the garage, Lando Norris starts the weekend knowing he will be at a disadvantage. Taking new engine components this weekend, the Brit will serve a 10-place grid penalty for Sundays session. Despite this, it’s important to maximise the practice sessions provided, as he will need to work much harder during the race. His early run times during FP2 were in the mix with the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers. A promising start to the weekend. 

To the aid of Piastri, a red flag was waved about 12 minutes into the session. With a considerable amount of gravel having been lifted onto the circuit, free practice was halted to clear the track. This meant that the mechanics at McLaren were given more time to focus on the car, without compromising Piastris ability to participate as much. 

Soft Tyre Runs Showed Where Each Driver Is At

Gravel cleared and returning to green flag conditions, it was Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg who were yet to set a lap (other than Piastri). Taking the opportunity of a slightly empty circuit, the two headed out to sent a benchmark for the session. Lawsons first go put him seventh fastest at that moment, Hulkenberg only 16th.

19 minutes into the session, the team at McLaren finally managed to get Piastri’s car sorted. Making up for lost time, he knew he needed to get out quickly and get some numbers on the board. His first timed lap brought him four-tenths of a second behind his teammate Norris. 

Over at Red Bull, Isack Hadjar looked mighty on the soft tyre compound. He and his teammate Max Verstappen hit the top of the timesheet. Verstappen set the fastest time of the morning during the first free practice session, clearly showing why he’s had such success around Spa Francorchamps. This session however, the 4-time world champion was unhappy with his running, complaining to his engineer and falling short of Kimi Antonelli. 

Ferrari Comfortable after the Morning Success

Going 2-3 in free practice 1, Ferrari expected to remain near the front by the end of the second session. Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most number of pole positions at Spa, and to get that, he is no stranger to pushing limits. The Brit had a close call during the final chicane, heading off the track and fighting to keep his car in control. Coming from the high speeds driven during sector 3, he simply had a rare mistake and came in too hot. His initial soft tyre runs however were a significant distance to the championship leader.

Charles Leclerc arrives in Belgium having taken victory in the UK, his string of bad results seemingly coming to an end. Sat in the middle of the field during FP2 however, he had not found the same pace as he did during the morning session. 

With more than half the drivers having moved over to the soft tyre, Lando Norris found a rhythm in his car, and shot up to a provisional P2. The lap showed the confidence increasing inside the papaya garage.

Second Red Flag of the day

Pierre Gasly found a tremendous amount of pace during his final sector, which for a moment, placed him ninth fastest. However, the Frenchman was caught with all four wheels off the track during his first sector, resulting in his lap time being deleted. 

His lap was encouraging for Alpine. There is pace in the car and Gasly could be in contention for a great qualifying result. Franco Colapinto was able to match the pace of his teammate, and with the championship gap to Racing Bulls being one point, every position matters this weekend. 

Only a little while later however, Gasly lost rear control, resulting in a sizeable crash at turn 11. Rear suspension destroyed, he was forced to stop his car trackside, and the red flag was waved. The crash comes as a disappointing end to Friday, having shown promise just moments before.

A Lot of Time Lost in FP2

By the time the Green light returned, there were less than two minutes remaining. This meant that none of the drivers were able to complete a final lap, so Kimi Antonelli kept the fastest time of the session. For Antonelli, FP2 came easy. Having set the fastest lap early in session, he returned to the pitlane to not compromise on tyre integrity.

Norris maintained P2 with Verstappen finishing third fastest. Lewis Hamilton separated the two Red Bull drivers at the chequered flag. On the other side of the Mercedes garage, George Russell struggled to keep up with the front runners. By the end, he was 1.285 seconds slower than his teammate. Regardless of their inability to do a final run, the result is concerning for the Brit. In the championship battle, Russell will need to continue outperforming his teammate. 

Lindblad and Lawson found themselves once again concluding the top 10. The two have had a brilliant last four Grand Prix weekends. They will hope to continue their run here in Belgium.