Max Verstappen Tops Times In Opening Practice, Faces Grid Penalty

Max Verstappen led the timesheets in the opening practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday, despite facing a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race. The Red Bull driver clocked a fastest lap of 1:43.372, outpacing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who was 0.531 seconds behind. Verstappen, who is seeking to end a three-race winless streak with a fourth consecutive win at the Belgian GP, remained at the top throughout the session.

Williams’ Alex Albon finished third, followed by Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was sixth, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll rounded out the top ten.

The session took place on a warm, cloudy day with an earlier rain shower. Russell was the first driver out, but Verstappen quickly set the pace on hard tires with a lap time of 1:44.706. Piastri soon moved into second place, seven-tenths of a second behind.

Several drivers, including Norris, both Ferrari drivers, and Hamilton, initially used soft tires. Esteban Ocon was stuck in the Alpine garage due to a suspected water leak, following his announcement that he would switch to Haas next year.

Verstappen’s 10-place grid penalty, due to a new engine, was confirmed during the session, along with a grid penalty for Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri, who will start from the back after additional power unit components were used.

As the session progressed, Perez, who had switched to soft tires, complained about the car’s handling, while Verstappen, Piastri, and Albon continued to lead. Mercedes drivers Russell and Hamilton showed inconsistent pace, with Hamilton reporting significant bouncing and running wide at Les Combes.