Antonelli Leads Belgian GP Friday as Teams Test 2026 Harvesting Fixes and New Parts
Updated
Updated · The Race · Jul 17
Antonelli Leads Belgian GP Friday as Teams Test 2026 Harvesting Fixes and New Parts
3 articles · Updated · The Race · Jul 17
Summary
Kimi Antonelli emerged as Friday’s standout at Spa, rebounding from a messy FP1 to lead FP2 and show the strongest long-run pace Mercedes could extract from red-flag-limited running.
2026 harvesting concerns shaped the day, turning practice into a test bed for energy-recovery strategies and a raft of new parts as teams searched for workable setups before sprint qualifying and the race.
Max Verstappen backed up his FP1 benchmark with third in FP2 and said Red Bull was in a good window, while George Russell slumped 1.285s behind Antonelli in FP2 despite Mercedes fixing an earlier power-unit issue.
Franco Colapinto delivered the midfield surprise in seventh for Alpine, 0.15s clear of the best Racing Bull, as team-mate Pierre Gasly crashed heavily enough to leave possible gearbox and drivetrain damage under review.
Aston Martin looked the clearest struggler—both cars finished more than 5 seconds off in each session—while Haas found modest gains from a new front wing and positioned itself to profit if top-10 runners falter.