Pierre Gasly's enormous practice crash ripped the entire rear wing off his Alpine with 15 minutes remaining in FP2 at Spa-Francorchamps, prematurely ending Friday's session and leaving teams guessing ahead of Saturday's qualifying. The incident, which scattered debris across the track, brought out red flags and denied drivers a late performance run.
Antonelli Leads; Ferrari Left Wondering
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli ended Friday atop the timesheets, with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen close behind. Lewis Hamilton was seven-tenths off the pace in fourth, while Charles Leclerc languished one-and-a-half seconds adrift in 11th. Ferrari, however, believe they could have closed the gap significantly had Gasly's crash not ended the session early. George Russell, nearly 1.3 seconds slower than his teammate, was also denied a chance to improve.
Norris's Grid Penalty and Verstappen's Frustration
Norris will face a 10-place grid drop on Sunday, meaning his strong pace in FP2 may not translate to pole position. Verstappen topped FP1 but was unhappy with his Red Bull, fuming on the radio: "These f*****g shifts, unbelievable man. Why are they so s**t? It's unacceptable." The Dutchman hopes to challenge for victory despite the setup issues.
Penalties Decide Back Row
Isack Hadjar's new engine parts triggered a 30-place grid penalty, guaranteeing he will start last. Lance Stroll's 10-place penalty is unlikely to affect his qualifying result given Aston Martin's lack of pace. The back row of the grid appears all but settled.
Norris Fumes at Paparazzi Violation
Off-track, Lando Norris expressed anger at paparazzi who he says "violated" his privacy by following him during an evening out in London. The McLaren driver, rumoured to have split with Portuguese model Magui Corceiro and linked to American influencer Alix Earle, was filmed sprinting from a members' club through a crowd of photographers. "I drove to my friend's house in London, and I knew a paparazzi was just following me the whole way," Norris said. "Following me through London for 40 minutes, just waiting to see who I was going to meet and where I was going. That's the first time where I started to feel a bit more violated in my life – that I can't leave my hotel or house without someone trying to see every move I am doing. It doesn't feel as though private life is private, it is just life now. That is part of being a Formula One driver, but there are boundaries, and I won't accept people following me. That is just odd."
Looking Ahead to Qualifying
With limited running in FP2, teams face uncertainty heading into qualifying. McLaren's Norris hopes his pace is genuine, while Verstappen seeks to overcome his gearbox woes. Ferrari will aim to recover from a disappointing Friday, and Gasly's Alpine team will work to repair the damage overnight.
