Verstappen Tops Belgian GP FP1 Despite Old-Spec Rear Wing

Nobody told Max Verstappen the script. After ditching the infamous ‘Macarena’ rear wing that sent him into the barriers in Austria and Silverstone, he was supposed to be slower. Instead, he topped the FP1 timesheet at Spa-Francorchamps with a 1m47.070s, marking the first time he has led a practice session all of 2026. The paddock, understandably, raised an eyebrow or two.

Verstappen and Hadjar Dominate Early Running

Red Bull looked genuinely rapid from the moment the pit lane opened. Verstappen and team-mate Isack Hadjar spent the opening phase swapping the top spot between them like they were passing a baton. Hadjar, freed from any qualifying pressure due to his back-row grid penalty for multiple power unit changes, was on the soft tyres early and briefly led, but Verstappen kept clawing back time. When the Dutchman committed to softs, he went 0.533s clear of championship leader Kimi Antonelli in one brutal stroke.

Ferrari Closest, But Mercedes Causes the Real Talking Point

It was Lewis Hamilton who got closest, finishing 0.145s back in second, with Charles Leclerc third at 0.207s adrift. Both Ferraris improved significantly on their second soft-tyre runs. Solid enough, but not the story of the session.

The real conversation is about Mercedes. Antonelli, leading the championship by 25 points, was sixth. George Russell was eighth, nearly nine tenths off the pace. Whether they were sandbagging is the kind of question that keeps fans arguing until qualifying, though the pace concern at Mercedes is not entirely new. Russell was reportedly struggling to get his tyres to work in the early stages, which is not what you want to hear from a constructor with 333 points banked.

Piastri Drama, Norris Rakes, and the Aston Martin Abyss

Oscar Piastri had a scare on the Kemmel Straight in the closing minutes, coasting to a crawl with a hydraulic pressure issue before limping back to the garage. He ended up fifth. Lando Norris, already facing a 10-place grid penalty for a new control electronics unit, spent much of the session circulating with aero rakes fitted. He ended up seventh, which is precisely as useful as it sounds given where he will start on Sunday. For more context on that penalty, read the full breakdown here.

And then there is Aston Martin. Lance Stroll was 5.738s off the pace. Jak Crawford, standing in for Fernando Alonso, was 6.129s back. Six seconds. At Spa. That is not a gap, it is a chasm, and it will not be making comfortable reading back at Silverstone.

What It All Means

One practice session proves nothing, and everyone knows it. But Verstappen topping the charts for the first time in 2026, without his allegedly superior wing, will do wonders for morale at Red Bull, a team that has needed some good news rather badly. Whether the pace holds into qualifying is another matter entirely. Energy management at Spa remains a genuine concern for Red Bull, and Verstappen himself mentioned graining on his front-left and rear-left during his long run. The fastest lap in FP1 is a start. Sunday is the exam.

Belgian GP FP1: Full Results