Belgian GP FP2 report: Kimi Antonelli fastest as Ferrari take a worrying step backwards at Spa

Ferrari SF-26, power unit, engine, rear wing, 2026 F1

Kimi Antonelli set the pace in the second practice session for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, leading Lando Norris and Max Verstappen as Mercedes emerged as the team to beat at Spa-Francorchamps. Ferrari endured a far more difficult FP2, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth and Charles Leclerc only 11th after the SF-26 lost the sector-two strength it had displayed earlier in the day.

Friday’s track action at Spa-Francorchamps has now concluded, but the competitive picture remains intriguing. Mercedes made significant progress between the two sessions, while Ferrari appeared to take a clear step backwards compared with both FP1 and its victorious performance at Silverstone.

Conditions for Belgian GP FP2

The second hour of running at Spa followed an opening practice session that had failed to establish a clear competitive order. Before examining the main developments from FP2, these were the operating conditions at the circuit:

Air temperature: 23°C
Track temperature: 33°C
Humidity: 49%
Wind: 0.3 m/s from the north-west

Rain had arrived during the interval between FP1 and FP2, washing away some of the rubber deposited during the opening session. That effectively reset the track and left the drivers facing green conditions at the beginning of the second hour. The change was another reminder of how quickly conditions can evolve at Spa, with the Belgian Grand Prix weather forecast indicating the possibility of further rain during the weekend.

Mercedes changes rear wing after FP1 difficulties

The first notable technical development came from Mercedes. After the problems encountered in FP1, the team fitted a higher-downforce rear wing in an attempt to recover performance through the more technical sections, where the W17 had appeared ineffective. The revision formed part of a busy day of development work across the paddock, with several teams introducing new technical solutions for the Belgian Grand Prix.

All 22 drivers began the session on medium tyres. Kimi Antonelli immediately moved to the top of the timesheets as the Italian pushed to evaluate Mercedes’ revised setup. His initial benchmark was always likely to improve considerably, however, because the green circuit was gaining grip rapidly with every lap.

After 14 minutes, the red flag was shown because debris needed to be removed from the track. The interruption lasted only a few minutes before the session resumed under green-flag conditions.

Kimi Antonelli takes control on soft tyres

The soft-tyre qualifying simulations began shortly after the restart, and Kimi Antonelli reinforced his position at the top by recording a 1:45.944. Max Verstappen initially moved into second place, 0.472 seconds behind the Mercedes driver, with Lewis Hamilton third at 1.117 seconds. Charles Leclerc was ninth at that stage, 1.6 seconds away from the benchmark.

Ferrari had appeared particularly strong and consistent through the second sector in FP1, but that same part of the circuit became its greatest weakness in the second session. Mercedes, by contrast, appeared to have found a much better operating window through its rear-wing change and more effective electrical energy deployment. Energy management is especially important at Spa under the 2026 regulations, with the FIA having introduced a specific qualifying energy-recovery limit for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris then climbed into second place, ending up just 0.190 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli. The reigning world champion will serve a ten-place grid penalty for replacing his battery pack, meaning his strong Friday pace will not translate directly into his starting position if the penalty is applied after qualifying.

As has often been the case, George Russell was unable to match his Mercedes team-mate’s pace and complained about a slippery rear end. The difference between the two W17s was substantial, with George Russell approximately 1.2 seconds slower than Kimi Antonelli.

Ferrari unhappy with the SF-26 setup

There was little satisfaction inside Ferrari regarding the car’s setup. After completing his run on soft tyres, Charles Leclerc spoke over the radio and requested more downforce. The SF-26 appeared to be a distant relative of the car seen at Silverstone, where Ferrari had been significantly more competitive.

The difficult session contrasted sharply with Charles Leclerc’s expectations for the Belgian Grand Prix following Ferrari’s success in Britain. While Lewis Hamilton remained within the leading group in fourth place, Charles Leclerc could manage only the 11th-fastest time.

The two Red Bull drivers were the first to switch to race configuration, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar beginning their long runs on medium tyres. Kimi Antonelli followed shortly afterwards.

The W17 also appeared to be working well over longer distances. Kimi Antonelli consistently recorded lap times in the low 1:51s, demonstrating an encouraging and stable race pace. George Russell’s performance was slightly less impressive but remained competitive.

Max Verstappen and the McLaren drivers showed similar pace to one another, although their lap times were slightly slower than those produced by Mercedes. At that stage, the Silver Arrows appeared to possess an advantage over both a single lap and a longer run.

Pierre Gasly crash ends the long-run simulations

With 14 minutes remaining, the red flag was shown for a second time, bringing Ferrari’s race simulation to an end almost as soon as it had begun. Pierre Gasly had crashed into the barriers at Fagnes.

The French driver initially attempted to return to the pits, but the right-rear suspension of his A526 had been completely torn apart. Pierre Gasly was therefore forced to stop the car on the circuit.

Recovering the damaged Alpine took a considerable amount of time and effectively brought both the long-run programmes and the session itself to an end. FP2 ultimately presented Mercedes as a potentially dominant force, particularly in Kimi Antonelli’s hands.

On the evidence of the second session, Mercedes appears to be the leading candidate for pole position and also demonstrated particularly consistent race pace. The same could not be said of Ferrari, which seemed to have taken a drastic step backwards compared with its performance at Silverstone.