Max Verstappen topped first practice at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman led the way with a 1m17.070s effort, putting him clear of Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
In the opening session of the weekend, McLaren and Mercedes appeared to be a step behind the lead trio.
Isack Hadjar was fourth fastest for Red Bull, but he will not feature in the pole battle on Saturday after receiving a back-of-the-grid penalty having taken a raft of new power unit components.
Oscar Piastri led the way for McLaren in fifth place, but a hydraulic problem in the closing stages cast a shadow over his session.
The full results from FP1 can be found below.
F1 Belgian GP FP1 Results
| 2026 F1 Belgian GP - Practice Results (1) | |||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m47.070s | 24 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m47.215s | 22 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | 1m47.277s | 22 |
| 4 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1m47.322s | 23 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team | 1m47.522s | 21 |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m47.603s | 23 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren Mastercard F1 Team | 1m47.931s | 19 |
| 8 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 1m47.959s | 22 |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | GBR | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m48.234s | 24 |
| 10 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1m48.406s | 18 |
| 11 | Liam Lawson | NWZ | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | 1m48.432s | 24 |
| 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Audi Revolut F1 Team | 1m48.962s | 23 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1m49.010s | 21 |
| 14 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams F1 Team | 1m49.337s | 24 |
| 15 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m49.403s | 23 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | TGR Haas F1 Team | 1m49.449s | 21 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1m49.712s | 23 |
| 18 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Cadillac F1 Team | 1m49.829s | 21 |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | MEX | Cadillac F1 Team | 1m50.226s | 22 |
| 20 | Carlos Sainz | SPA | Atlassian Williams F1 Team | 1m50.862s | 25 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m52.808s | 19 |
| 22 | Jak Crawford | USA | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 1m53.199s | 22 |
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
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