Friday's summary: Perez extends, while Verstappen crashes

It was a busy Friday. Besides the two free practices there was contract news at Red Bull, a big crash in the W-series and crashes for Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. An overview.

Perez also next year teammate Verstappen

While Mercedes still hasn't announced who will drive next year alongside Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull decided to make it public between the first and second free practice sessions on Friday. Perez will also drive next year in a Red Bull alongside Verstappen and support the Dutchman.

Verstappen and Leclerc crash

Both drivers had to swallow a bitter pill during the second free practice. While Leclerc's damage doesn't look too bad, Verstappen's was not. When Verstappen crashed, people immediately thought of the third engine, which would have to be replaced in case of major damage. With a grid penalty as a result. Honda has now said that the damage after the crash is not too bad and that there is no major damage.

Huge crash W-Series

The W-Series did suffer a lot of damage. Dutch driver Beitske Visser was involved in a huge crash and had to be taken to hospital for tests. Fortunately, everyone was unharmed and no one was seriously injured. However, it has led to more discussion on the safety of Spa and especially the Eau Rouge corner.

Red Bull at half speed

At least, that's what Helmut Marko claims after the free practice. Verstappen was fastest in the second free practice and was certainly faster than Mercedes in the long runs. If, according to Marko, he can add another half a second to his speed it looks good for the Dutchman and his team.