© Getty Images2024 Belgian Grand Prix - Free Practice ReportThe Bulls made the most of the opening two hours, with Max finishing the day in third and Checo in ninth.
MaxVerstappenandSergioPerezspentverylittletimeinthegarageinFriday’sFreePracticesessions,testingallcompoundsoftheslicktyrestoprepareforthefinalracebeforethesummerbreak.MaxwasbackontopinFP1andthirdinFP2,behindthetwoMcLarens.ChecoendeddayoneinP7andP9.
Making Those Soft Tyres Work© Getty Images
It was announced before the start of the session that Max would receive a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new Power Unit for the race, so he, along with his teammate, headed out on track as soon as the pitlane was open.
Both completed three flying laps on the hard tyre, with just single cooldown laps between each. Of those fastest flying laps, Max clocked a 1:44.532 with Checo setting a 1:45:907, placing them first and eighth, respectively.
With 35 minutes remaining in the session, Max left his garage with new, soft tyres on, but he wasn’t alone. As other teams went on track with the red-walled tyre, lap times started getting shorter and shorter as qualifying-pace-runs were of utmost importance. George Russell was out first and set a 1:44.225 lap time, dropping Max into P2. However, Max was driving just behind the Brit and stopped the clock at 1:43.372, putting him back on top, 0.853s ahead of Russell.
Checo also headed out on the soft tyre for a one-lap sprint, setting a time of 1:44.329, placing him P5 at that point in the session. Checo said over the radio that he was “really struggling to know what the car was doing in the entries,” going on to explain that he could feel what was happening. He tried for two more push laps on the softs but aborted both of them.
The Bulls then finished their sessions with some high-fuel, race-pace laps. Max completed seven on the softs before swapping back to his used hard tyres for three more laps. Checo came out later from the garage and completed seven high-fuel laps.
The Instantly Recognisable Spa-Francorchamps© Getty Images
That latter session was predominantly about getting as many data-gathering, race simulation laps in the bag as possible ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix. Running on medium tyres, Max went out for nine laps before changing onto the soft tyres for a further five. Checo completed 13 laps on the medium tyres, looking solely at gathering data for his race pace.
All teams had the same plan at the halfway stage of the session, and the soft tyres were put on most cars. Carlos Sainz set a time first, knocking Max off the top spot. Oscar Piastri then went next, setting a time of 1:42.475, placing him provisionally in P1, with Max ending his lap just 0.002s behind the Australian in P2. Lando Norris then eclipsed both drivers to top the timesheet. And that’s how it stayed at the top with Norris, Piastri, and Max.
Checo’s one push lap on the softs saw him set a 1:43.504, placing him P5 at that point, but as others completed their laps, he had to settle for P9 at the end of the session.
All Smiles Before The Session© Getty Images
Rank | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | 1 | Max Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:43.372 | – |
2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:43.903 | +0.531 |
3 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:44.099 | +0.727 |
4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:44.225 | +0.853 |
5 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:44.279 | +0.907 |
6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:44.306 | +0.934 |
7 | Sergio Pérez | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:44.329 | +0.957 |
8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:44.415 | +1.043 |
9 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:44.574 | +1.202 |
10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:44.699 | +1.327 |
Rank | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | 1 | Max Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:43.372 | – |
2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:43.903 | +0.531 |
3 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:44.099 | +0.727 |
4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:44.225 | +0.853 |
5 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:44.279 | +0.907 |
6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:44.306 | +0.934 |
7 | Sergio Pérez | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:44.329 | +0.957 |
8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:44.415 | +1.043 |
9 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:44.574 | +1.202 |
10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:44.699 | +1.327 |