Kimi Antonelli Leads Twice-Interrupted Belgian GP FP2

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in second practice for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix with a 1 minute 45.944 second lap during a session interrupted by two red flags at Spa-Francorchamps.

The championship leader put Mercedes 0.190 seconds ahead of Lando Norris, while Max Verstappen finished third at a deficit of 0.472 seconds. Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar completed the top five.

FP2 was held on a completely dry circuit in sunny conditions despite rain falling between Friday’s two sessions. Most drivers headed out immediately when the pit lane opened, while Oscar Piastri was delayed by approximately 20 minutes as McLaren repaired a hydraulic leak.

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Antonelli immediately posted a 1 minute 46.911 second lap on the medium tyre, already faster than Verstappen’s FP1 benchmark. He later improved on the soft compound and became the first driver to break the 1 minute 46 second barrier.

The first red flag appeared after Verstappen ran wide at Turn 14 and dragged gravel onto the circuit. The Red Bull driver later improved his lap time but was unable to match Antonelli’s benchmark.

Lando Norris moved into second during his qualifying simulation shortly before the halfway point. George Russell managed only eighth and complained about rear tyre temperatures after finishing more than one second behind his team-mate.

The second stoppage came during the final 15 minutes when Pierre Gasly suffered a heavy crash at the exit of Turn 13. His Alpine stopped with substantial rear damage, limiting the teams’ race-simulation programmes.

The session resumed with two minutes remaining, but no further improvements followed. Antonelli retained the fastest time heading into FP3, while Mercedes must still assess the significant performance difference between him and Russell before Belgian Grand Prix qualifying.