Max Verstappen laid down the first marker at Spa-Francorchamps, topping the opening practice session for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix as Red Bull showed impressive early speed.
The reigning champion emerged at the front of the field after a competitive opening phase, edging Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by just over a tenth of a second in a session that suggested the fight at the sharp end could be closely contested.
British Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc completed the top three, clocking in 0.207s behind Verstappen.
Red Bull and Verstappen establish early control
The early stages of FP1 belonged to Red Bull, with Verstappen and teammate Isack Hadjar trading places at the top of the timesheets during the opening 20 minutes.
Verstappen initially set the benchmark on medium tyres, becoming the first driver to dip below the 1m48s mark with a 1m47.859s lap. Hadjar responded immediately, finding a small improvement on soft tyres to briefly take control of the session.
Kimi Antonelli then interrupted the Red Bull dominance with a 1m47.603s effort, but Hadjar returned to the front before the half-hour mark with a 1m47.322s lap.
Verstappen, however, had more to come. Switching to soft tyres, the Red Bull driver produced a 1m47.070s effort to reclaim top spot and underline the strength of the RB22 package around the high-speed Spa layout.
The Red Bull drivers appeared particularly strong through the middle sector, where they gained significant time compared with their rivals.
Ferrari closes the gap as Hamilton shines
Ferrari quickly emerged as Red Bull’s biggest challenger, with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc splitting the two Red Bull cars on the leaderboard.
Hamilton moved into second place, just 0.145 seconds away from Verstappen’s benchmark after his first serious soft-tyre run. Leclerc, fresh from his Silverstone victory, followed closely behind his teammate, ending the session only half a tenth slower.
Despite the Ferrari pressure, Verstappen’s 1m47.070s remained unbeaten for the remainder of FP1.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was fifth fastest, finishing 0.452 seconds away from the Red Bull driver, while championship leader Antonelli completed the top six, just over a tenth behind the Australian.
Piastri endured a late scare when he was instructed to stop his car after a suspected issue, but he was able to return to the pits as the MCL40 maintained enough hydraulic pressure.
Mixed fortunes further down the field
Lando Norris and George Russell rounded out the top eight, while Racing Bulls youngster Arvid Lindblad ended the session ninth. The Briton was testing a revised, squarer roll-hoop intake design, while teammate Liam Lawson continued with the older specification.
Gabriel Bortoleto placed 10th, narrowly ahead of Lawson, with Nico Hulkenberg 12th and significantly behind his teammate.
Aston Martin endured a difficult start to the weekend, with rookie Jak Crawford finishing last of the classified drivers. Lance Stroll was 21st, ending the session 5.7 seconds off Verstappen’s pace and three seconds behind Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac.
With qualifying still ahead, Red Bull has delivered the early warning—but Ferrari’s pace suggests Verstappen may not have an easy weekend at Spa.
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