Kimi Antonelli Bounces Back After Tough FP1 Session at Belgian GP

Race Summary

• Kimi Antonelli showed a strong performance in FP2 after a challenging FP1 session.
• George Russell struggled in both practice sessions.
• Max Verstappen topped FP1 and finished third in FP2.
• Franco Colapinto surprised with a seventh-place finish in FP2.
• Pierre Gasly crashed in FP2, causing significant damage to his car.

Kimi Antonelli Bounces Back After Tough FP1 Session at Belgian GP

The practice sessions at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps revealed a variety of experiences for teams and drivers. Kimi Antonelli, after a difficult first practice session (FP1), managed to recover and deliver a strong performance in the second session (FP2). This was an important step for the Mercedes team, which was hoping for a better start to the weekend.

Meanwhile, George Russell faced difficulties in both practice sessions, trailing behind his teammate. If this pace continues, Russell is in for a long race day on Sunday.

Max Verstappen, who topped the timesheets in FP1, demonstrated excellent pace, but finished third in FP2. Verstappen noted that the car was in a good window, but the true gap between teams became apparent in FP2.

Aston Martin struggled significantly in both practice sessions, as expected, while awaiting their B-spec car. Team principal Mike Krack noted that they were not demotivated by the situation.

Franco Colapinto from Alpine surprised everyone by securing seventh place in FP2, even outpacing Mercedes driver George Russell. Colapinto mentioned feeling more comfortable with the car this year, which is reflected in the results.

Pierre Gasly suffered a crash in FP2, which caused significant damage to his car. Exiting the Fagnes corner, he lost the rear wing and damaged the tires.

The Haas team showed promising performance with a new front wing, and Ollie Bearman stated that the car felt strong on Friday.