F1 LIVE | Follow FP3 of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix here

Max Verstappen topped the timesheets in FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of the two Ferrari drivers. The second practice session at Spa-Francorchamps proved far more eventful, with two red flags disrupting the running and significantly reducing the teams' track time, including one caused by Pierre Gasly's crash. Kimi Antonelli ultimately set the fastest time in FP2, ahead of Lando Norris and Verstappen. Despite dropping to third in the afternoon session, Verstappen said his car was in a "good window" after Friday's running.

Several drivers were fitted with new power unit components for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. The list includes both Antonelli and Verstappen, although neither driver will receive a grid penalty at this stage. That is not the case for Norris, Isack Hadjar and Lance Stroll, all of whom have exceeded the number of power unit components permitted over the course of the 2026 season and will therefore take grid penalties.

In the drivers' championship, both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton gained ground on Kimi Antonelli at Silverstone after the young Italian retired from the points following a car issue at the British Grand Prix. Heading into this weekend, Russell trails Antonelli by 25 points, while Hamilton is 32 points behind.

The seven-time world champion was generally satisfied with the SF-26 but explained that, because of Spa's energy-demanding layout, the current Formula 1 power units simply "die" on the circuit's long straights.

He said: "It's still amazing to drive. I mean, through corners and everything, it's good. It's just the straights where the engine dies. I don't know what they're going to do to fix that in the future, but I hope they do."