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Kimi Antonelli was the
fastest driver on the opening day of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, setting
a time of 1:45.944. The Mercedes driver recorded the lap on Soft tyres,
finishing ahead of Lando Norris, second in 1:46.134, and Max Verstappen,
third in 1:46.416.
During FP2, held with track temperatures of 37°C
and air temperatures of 25°C, drivers used only the Medium C3 and Soft C4
compounds. The number of laps completed was generally lower than usual due
to the red flag caused by Gasly, which interrupted the second free practice
session. Antonelli and Norris stopped at 17 laps, while Verstappen reached
20.
In the first session, some teams also used the Hard C2. Audi,
Alpine and Cadillac opted for this choice, before switching to Softs later
in FP1. The rest of the field focused exclusively on the C3 and C4. Max
Verstappen set the fastest time with a 1:47.070, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and
Charles Leclerc. Temperatures were higher, with a peak of 43°C on track.
Simone Berra: Chief Engineer:
"The rain that fell overnight and throughout the day significantly reduced
track grip, increasing lap times compared to both our and the teams’
expectations. If there is no further precipitation, the track will gradually
rubber in and return to the anticipated levels. Despite the interruption in
the second hour of free practice, teams should have gathered sufficient data
to tackle the weekend.
“Degradation was slightly higher than initial
expectations on the two softest compounds, on both axles: on the front due
to abrasion, and on the rear due to thermal effects. We do not expect this
phenomenon to recur over the coming days, when temperatures will be lower
and the track conditions improved. The delta between Medium and Soft is
between four and five tenths, in line with simulations.
“The Hard
compound was used by only a few teams in FP1. Many teams therefore chose to
preserve two sets of the hardest compound. It is interesting to consider the
reason, given that a one-stop race on Sunday appears very likely. The
additional set could represent a valuable joker in the event of a
neutralisation during the Grand Prix, should a first stop have already been
made."
FORMULA 2:
For Sunday’s Feature Race, Rafael Câmara will start from pole position. The
Brazilian edged out Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak in the fight for pole. Behind
them, Alexander Dunne set the third fastest time. The top three were covered
by less than two tenths of a second.
There is a compound step in the
selection for the Spa-Francorchamps weekend. On paper, the fastest strategy
for the Feature Race involves using Mediums in the first stint and
Supersofts in the second. However, it will be crucial to factor in any
Safety Car interventions, which could make the reverse strategy more
competitive.
FORMULA 3
Freddie Slater secured pole position for the second consecutive time, this
time at Spa-Francorchamps. Despite rain affecting the session, Slater set a
time of 2:05.150, almost three tenths quicker than second-placed Tuukka
Taponen. The third fastest time was recorded by Hiyu Yamakoshi. The chosen
compound for the Belgian weekend is the Medium.
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