Max Verstappen Tops Belgian Grand Prix Practice One with Impressive Performance

Max Verstappen set an impressive early pace in the Practice One session at the Belgian Grand Prix, despite the formal confirmation of his expected grid penalty. Verstappen’s performance comes in the wake of taking a fifth Red Bull-Honda internal combustion unit of the season, resulting in an automatic 10-place grid drop for the upcoming race. It is noteworthy that Verstappen has previously excelled at the Belgian Grand Prix, winning the last two editions despite grid penalties pushing him down the order.

With this latest setback, Verstappen’s resilience and speed were evident as he topped the timesheets with a significant margin of 0.531 seconds. Setting a blistering lap time of 1:43.372, he showcased his potential to remain competitive from outside the top five once again.

The session also saw impressive performances from other drivers, with Oscar Piastri of McLaren securing the second position, and Alex Albon delivering a surprise third-place finish for Williams. Notably, the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton occupied the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, as they tested the team’s latest upgrades for the W15 car.

Mercedes has been steadily improving the performance of the W15 car throughout the season, incorporating a range of successful upgrades. The latest enhancements include a new front wing, beam wing, and diffuser, along with revisions to the floor and Halo fairing flaps. This continuous development reflects the team’s commitment to staying competitive in the fiercely contested championship battle.

The midfield battles were also intense, with Charles Leclerc posting the sixth-fastest time for Ferrari, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez striving to deliver a strong performance amid speculation about his future in the team. Lando Norris of McLaren rounded off the top eight, underlining the tight competition across the grid.

The intriguing developments in Practice One set the stage for an exhilarating qualifying session and race at Spa-Francorchamps, as the Formula 1 season continues to deliver compelling storylines and thrilling on-track action.

Belgian GP Practice One Timesheet

Driver	Team	Time
1) Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:43.372
2) Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.531
3) Alex Albon	Williams	+0.727
4) George Russell	Mercedes	+0.853
5) Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.907
6) Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.934
7) Sergio Perez	Red Bull	+0.957
8) Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.043
9) Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.202
10) Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.327
11) Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.461
12) Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+1.549
13) Daniel Ricciardo	RB	+1.578
14) Valtteri Bottas	Sauber	+1.783
15) Logan Sargeant	Williams	+1.939
16) Yuki Tsunoda	RB	+2.192
17) Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	+2.273
18) Kevin Magnussen	Haas	+2.440
19) Zhou Guanyu	Sauber	+2.623
20) Esteban Ocon	Alpine	No time