# Kimi Antonelli Edges Lando Norris at Spa as Red Flags Mar Belgian GP Practice

**By Luca Bertolini**  \nPublished August 4, 2026  \nUpdated September 9, 2026

> Kimi Antonelli set the pace in second practice for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, edging Lando Norris by under two-tenths of a second in a session twice halted by red flags.

When the Formula 1 field rolled out onto the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for Friday afternoon's second practice session, teams were eager to maximize dry running following a splash of rain immediately after FP1. The resulting hour at the Belgian Grand Prix quickly devolved into a stop-start affair defined by qualifying simulations on soft Pirelli rubber, garage repairs, and two separate red-flag stoppages that disrupted long-run programs.

Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli ultimately mastered the chaos, laying down a benchmark lap of 1:45.944 on his soft-tyre run to finish just under two-tenths clear of McLaren's Lando Norris. Antonelli's pace underlined a strong recovery for the Silver Arrows during Friday afternoon, even as his teammate George Russell struggled down the order in eighth place, lagging 1.2 seconds behind the pacesetter.

## Red Flags and Garage Dramas Interrupt Spa Running

The rhythm of FP2 was fractured twice by red flags. The initial interruption occurred when Max Verstappen kicked a hefty amount of gravel onto the track at Stavelot, forcing marshals to clear the surface while the Red Bull driver vented over team radio regarding his car's downshifts. Verstappen recovered to post the third-fastest time overall, slotting in ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The session was halted a second time in the final 15 minutes when Pierre Gasly lost control of his Alpine exiting the Fagnes chicane. Gasly put his wheels on the gravel, clipped the barrier with the rear of the car, and spun around, completely wrecking the rear wing of his machine and prematurely ending any meaningful long-run data collection for the team. Before his crash, Gasly's best lap time had already been deleted for track limits, compounding a difficult afternoon.

Meanwhile, McLaren spent the opening portion of the session with Oscar Piastri's MCL40 up on stands as mechanics raced to fix a hydraulic leak that had hobbled the Australian late in FP1. Piastri eventually emerged to secure a place within a second of Antonelli's leading time, joining teammate Norris—who briefly threatened the top spot before settling for second—in demonstrating strong middle-sector pace for Woking.

## Midfield Shuffles and Ferrari's Track-Limit Woes

Behind the leading battle between Mercedes and McLaren, the pecking order saw significant fluctuation. Isack Hadjar showed early promise on both medium and soft compounds, though the Red Bull youngster carries a heavy grid penalty for Sunday's race due to powertrain changes outside his allocation. Ferrari experienced a mixed session; Charles Leclerc saw a lap good enough for seventh chalked off for cutting the corner at Raidillon, leaving the Silverstone winner down in 11th on the timing boards, while Lewis Hamilton managed to split the Red Bulls to take fourth after an initial deleted lap was reinstated by race control.

Carlos Sainz voiced sharp frustration during the opening running, labeling Sergio Perez 'super dangerous' after the Cadillac driver failed to move off the racing line approaching Raidillon. Perez and teammate Valtteri Bottas endured further mechanical frustrations, continuing a difficult developmental Friday for the new American outfit.

Belgian Grand Prix FP2 Top PerformersPosDriverTeamTime1Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:45.9442Lando NorrisMcLaren+0.1903Max VerstappenRed Bull--4Lewis HamiltonFerrari--5Isack HadjarRed Bull--As teams head into Saturday's final practice and qualifying sessions, the truncated long-run data from FP2 places a premium on real-time setup adjustments. Mercedes holds the single-lap advantage through Antonelli, but McLaren's sustained sector performance and the underlying threat from Red Bull suggest a tightly contested grid for Sunday afternoon.

## Sources

- [Michelle Foster](https://www.planetf1.com/news/belgian-grand-prix-2026-fp2-report) — original
- [motorsport.com](https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-austrian-gp-fp2-report/10833600/) — original
- [ground.news](https://ground.news/article/f1-belgian-gp-commentary-and-updates-antonelli-leads-norris-as-fp2-resumes-after-red-flag) — original
- [John Smith](https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-2024-belgian-gp-fp2-results/) — original
- [formula1.com](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/fp2-antonelli-sets-the-pace-from-piastri-and-norris-during-second-practice-in-austria.SXfZLlntvyYCzyvkPTNPv) — original
- [Dan Lawrence](https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/07/26/norris-leads-mclaren-1-2-in-f1-belgian-gp-second-practice/) — original
- [autosport.com](https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-belgian-gp-fp2-report-/10839496/) — original