In Free Practice 1 for the Belgian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri topped the timesheet, outpacing Max Verstappen, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris placing third. Nico Hülkenberg led the drivers out of the pit lane, eager to maximize the hour-long practice session. Carlos Sainz experienced issues with his car, describing it as stuck in “limp home mode.” Verstappen initially set a benchmark time of 1:45.545, while Red Bull introduced significant upgrades, including a new cooling system.
Piastri became the first to break the 1:45 barrier, posting a time of 1:44.979 on hard tires. Charles Leclerc soon took the lead with a lap of 1:44.148, and several drivers faced challenges, including lock-ups and runs off the track. Kimi Antonelli and Franco Colapinto both had issues at La Source but Colapinto improved to eighth with a soft tire run. As the session progressed, Piastri recorded a fastest lap of 1:42.022 before the session ended.
Verstappen finished 0.404 seconds behind Piastri. While George Russell claimed fourth, Hamilton settled for seventh. Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin rounded out the top 10, and Sainz eventually improved to 11th. Drivers will return for sprint qualifying later on.
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