Antonelli Bounces Back in the Second Free Practice Session. Ferrari Lags Behind

After a tentative first session, Kimi Antonelli sent a strong message in the second free practice session of the Belgian Grand Prix, the tenth round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. On the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the young Mercedes driver set the fastest lap time, confirming his place among the weekend’s top contenders.

Antonelli was immediately very fast on the medium tires, taking the lead from the very first minutes. After an initial time of 1:46.911, the Italian further lowered the benchmark to 1:45.944, demonstrating not only great efficiency on a flying lap but also a convincing race pace. However, the session ended early, just over ten minutes before the scheduled end, when Pierre Gasly’s crash caused a red flag, preventing the drivers from completing their planned work.

Behind the Mercedes driver was Lando Norris, who finished second, 0.190 behind. Max Verstappen also showed promise, finishing third in his Red Bull, 0.472 behind, after setting the fastest time in the first session of the day.

Lewis Hamilton took fourth place in his Ferrari, 0.747 behind the leader, while Charles Leclerc’s day in the other Ferrari proved more challenging. The Monegasque driver finished outside the top 10, trailing Antonelli by about a second and a half, although his race pace looked encouraging: before the session was interrupted, he was consistently lapping in the 1:51.6 range on medium tires.

Also worth noting are Oscar Piastri’s (McLaren) sixth-place finish, 0.982 behind, and the eighth-place finish of George Russell’s other Mercedes, 1.285 behind his teammate. Attention now turns to Saturday, July 18, when qualifying will take place to determine the starting grid for the Belgian Grand Prix.