Verstappen fastest in Spa FP1 with new power unit ahead of Hamilton

Amid ongoing rumors surrounding his Formula 1 future, Verstappen was the quickest in FP1 at Spa. The Dutchman's best lap was 0.145 seconds faster than Hamilton's on the soft compound.

Isack Hadjar set the fourth-fastest time, finishing around 0.25 seconds behind his experienced teammate. Oscar Piastri was the leading McLaren in fifth, while Kimi Antonelli was the fastest Mercedes driver in sixth. Lando Norris and George Russell completed the top eight in seventh and eighth respectively.

Drivers wasted no time heading out on track at Spa-Francorchamps. Most began the opening practice session on the medium compound, but 15 minutes into FP1 it was Isack Hadjar who set the early pace with a 1:47.7 on the soft tyres.

By the halfway point of the session, Verstappen had moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:47.0 on the soft tyres. The Dutchman, whose RB22 is fitted with a new power unit this weekend, then led teammate Hadjar, Leclerc and Antonelli.

During the final 10 minutes of the session, several drivers switched back to the medium tyres before bolting on another set of softs for their final runs. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri encountered a problem in the closing stages and had to limp back to the pit lane from the Kemmel Straight.

Not only Verstappen, but the current championship leader, Antonelli, has also been fitted with a new power unit for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. The German team added the new engine to his pool and is investigating the one used during the British Grand Prix as a precaution, GPblog understands. For now, the Italian escapes a grid penalty.

That will not be the case for Norris and Hadjar. The McLaren driver will serve a 10-place penalty, while the Frenchman will start from the back of the grid after taking on additional power unit components. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll will also be penalised after exceeding the permitted number of MGU-Ks for the season.