Q1 eliminations

Eliminated are Albon, Ocon, Bottas, Perez, Alonso and Stroll.

Improved showing for Hamilton, ahead of Russell. +0.259 for the repaired Ferrari.

Antonelli sits seventh while Russell moves to fourth, +0.320.

Early in Q1 yet surprising to spot Antonelli in fifth place.

Lindblad fourth quickest at +0.326 after opening runs, placing RBs in second, third and fourth. Lawson trails at +0.636 in ninth.

Seven minutes remain with Colapinto, Ocon, Perez, Bottas, Albon and Stroll in the drop zone.

Norris tops the times in 1:45.865, and Hadjar edges Verstappen. Leclerc splits the Mercedes duo. Hamilton holds tenth.

Verstappen clocks 1:45.930, Antonelli +0.374 and Russell +0.490. Lindblad posts +0.261!

Spa length allows easier gaps during Q1. Less crowding than at the Red Bull Ring.

Lewis Hamilton pilots his repaired Ferrari.

Sergio Perez sets the initial mark at 1:49.307.

Antonelli, Russell and Verstappen complete laps.

The pack begins circulating.

Perez, Bottas and Stroll lead the way out. Bernie Collins suggests three runs possible.

Q1 underway. David Croft and Martin Brundle review Red Bull plans: might Hadjar, facing a heavy penalty, assist Verstappen into Q3?

Following warmer sessions at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone, Belgium stays cool near 20C this weekend.

Antonelli appears calm, Verstappen intent, ahead of qualifying.

Spa ranks as the longest track at 7.004 km (4.35 miles), ahead of Las Vegas by 800m.

With 10 minutes left, constructors standings:

1 Mercedes 333pts
2 Ferrari 255
3 McLaren 179
4 Red Bull 128
5 Alpine 60
6 Racing Bulls 59
7 Haas 21
8 Williams 11
9 Audi 6
10 Aston Martin 1
11 Cadillac 0

Drivers championship before the event:

1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 179pts
2 George Russell Mercedes 154
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 147
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 108
5 Lando Norris McLaren 97
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 82
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull 76
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 52
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine 42
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 39
11 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 20
12 Oliver Bearman Haas 18
13 Franco Colapinto Alpine 18
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 6
15 Carlos Sainz Williams 6
16 Alexander Albon Williams 5
17 Esteban Ocon Haas 3
18 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1

Beyond Hamilton crash, FP3 shifts little? Antonelli leads once more, Russell reaches fourth. Norris, with 10-place penalty, shows promise to limit damage.

1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:45.9902 Lando Norris McLaren +0.139s3 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.148s4 George Russell Mercedes +0.367s5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.392s6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.760s7 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.795s8 Nico Hülkenberg Audi +0.934s9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.059s10 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +1.106s11 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.186s
12 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.700s
13 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.914s
14 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.930s
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.959s
16 Alexander Albon Williams +2.000s
17 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +2.654s
18 Carlos Sainz Williams +2.702s
19 Esteban Ocon Haas +2.740s
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +3.000s
21 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +4.165s
22 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +4.641s

Giles Richards noted Friday that George Russell remains unconvinced by closing the gap, attributing it to Kimi Antonelli issues rather than personal gains:

“I know exactly what I need to do,” he said. “But going out and then achieving it when I have driven for 20 years in a certain way - and even more so, it has been working for 20 years … Now suddenly it is working 50% of the time but 50% of the other time it is not working. Trying to recognise, is it going to work this weekend my normal way? Or do I need to adapt my approach?

“When I have performed at my very best I have just been performing subconsciously, not even been thinking about driving and now you are having to think, trying to make these new techniques become subconscious techniques. That is the challenge.”

Eighth in FP1 shows ongoing issues.

FP2 sees Russell still eighth but Antonelli rising from sixth to first:

1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:45.9442 Lando Norris McLaren +0.190s3 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.472s4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.747s5 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.770s6 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.982s7 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.203s8 George Russell Mercedes +1.285s9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.350s10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.490s11 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.524s
12 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.848s
13 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +2.008s
14 Esteban Ocon Haas +2.014s
15 Alexander Albon Williams +2.075s
16 Carlos Sainz Williams +2.312s
17 Nico Hülkenberg Audi +2.389s
18 Pierre Gasly Alpine +3.011s
19 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +3.255s
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +3.652s
21 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +5.187s
22 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +5.474s

Friday free practice summary? As Giles Richards reported:

… in first practice Red Bull Max Verstappen led, just ahead of the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc, with Antonelli sixth and Russell eighth. Antonelli topped the second session, nearly two-tenths clear of McLaren Lando Norris, who faces a 10-place grid penalty for the race but Russell again struggled, finishing eighth, over a second behind his teammate.

FP1 times:

1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:47.0702 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.145s3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.207s4 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.252s5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.452s6 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.533s7 Lando Norris McLaren +0.861s8 George Russell Mercedes +0.889s9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.164s10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi+1.336s11 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.362s
12 Nico Hülkenberg Audi +1.892s
13 Oliver Bearman Haas +1.940s
14 Alexander Albon Williams +2.267s
15 Franco Colapinto Alpine +2.333s
16 Esteban Ocon Haas +2.379s
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.642s
18 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac+2.769s
19 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +3.156s
20 Carlos Sainz Williams +3.792s
21 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +5.738s
22 Jak Crawford Aston Martin +6.129s

Jak Crawford, reserve driver, replaced Fernando Alonso and received a pit-lane penalty. An Aston Martin speeding …

Hamilton appears set to join qualifying, with half an hour remaining. Ferrari worked swiftly.

Besides Norris, Red Bull Isack Hadjar and both Aston Martin drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, carry grid penalties for new power unit parts. Given Aston Martin form, only Hadjar penalty carries weight; he drops to the rear after three elements. Alonso joins him. Calculations suggest Stroll 20th, Hadjar 21st and Alonso 22nd.

Preamble

In The Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy, the most offensive word across much of the cosmos matches the name of a small Earth nation. Will anyone invoke Belgium after this grand prix?

Following final practice, perhaps Lewis Hamilton.

For Hamilton, 2025 proved challenging throughout. Even after slipping from second post-Monaco and Barcelona - his debut Ferrari victory - to third overall, he trails Russell by seven points yet gained on Antonelli. However, as PA reports:

Lewis Hamilton will race against time to contest qualifying for tomorrow Belgian Grand Prix after crashing out of final practice.

In the closing moments at Spa-Francorchamps, Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari exiting Fagnes, sliding through gravel before the rear struck the barrier.

“I have destroyed the car, mate,” said Hamilton after stopping abruptly on track.

Uninjured, Hamilton exited to examine major damage to the back right of his Ferrari - with the wheel turned incorrectly.

Earlier this season, a Mercedes driver and Max Verstappen drew frequent radio complaints. Recently, another Mercedes driver and Max Verstappen face similar scrutiny, now involving Kimi Antonelli instead of George Russell. Two non-points finishes in three races after five victories reduced the 19-year-old lead to 25 points from a prior 66. Handling issues at Silverstone while challenging for the lead tested his patience.

Verstappen life improved with second in Austria amid Red Bull future talk. Yet his Silverstone exit again drew attention.

Even Charles Leclerc, after Monaco retirement and Barcelona 15th while Hamilton scored, expressed frustration, though elegantly, before winning at Silverstone for Ferrari.

Lando Norris endured tough moments in China alongside Oscar Piastri due to McLaren double non-start from power unit failure, plus another issue in Japan. Regardless of Norris qualifying, he drops 10 places after opting for an upgraded Mercedes power unit. McLaren noted: “We have chosen to do this in [expletive deleted], a circuit where overtaking occurs more readily, unlike Hungary and Zandvoort.”

Per Douglas Adams, Belgium concept proves so distasteful that its use remains banned across the Galaxy except one spot where its meaning stays unknown. Join from 2.30pm for qualifying buildup, then from 3pm to learn who might echo Zaphod Beeblebrox: “Holy Belgium, man!”