Remarkable: Verstappen beats Mercedes on the two softest tyres

Max Verstappen seems to be on his way for a good weekend in Belgium. The Dutchman himself is still cautious about his chances at Spa-Francorchamps, but the times during the first and second free practice do not lie.

The Belgian Grand Prix seemed to be an easy win for Mercedes with the long straights, but judging from the times that were set on Friday, Max Verstappen also seems to be a good contender. The updates seem to work and even Alexander Albon knows how to blend in at the front.

Verstappen the fastest in Belgium

On Twitter Pirelli shows a striking statistic. In the first free practice Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton were the fastest on the softest two tyres and Max Verstappen is the fastest on the hard tyre. During the second free practice, however, the roles were reversed. Now Verstappen is the fastest on the softest two tyres and Hamilton on the hardest. On that tire, however, Verstappen didn't drive in the second free practice session.

So it looks good for Verstappen and Red Bull, who were also at the top of the time table during the second free practice. On Friday, however, there will be no points distribution and no pole. That will happen on Saturday and Sunday, where Mercedes generally seems to have something extra this season.

#Fit4F1 breakdown of day 1 #BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ba9WhcyUCj

— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) August 28, 2020