What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 F1 Belgian GP

Friday practice at the 2026 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps was disrupted by a late red flag in FP2, which curtailed long run data for most teams. Red Bull arrives at Belgium under pressure after Max Verstappen's race-ending crash in the gravel at Stowe during the previous round at Silverstone, where the team struggled to match Mercedes and Ferrari's pace despite updates introduced at Austria. Lando Norris remained cautious despite strong practice pace, while Lewis Hamilton expressed confidence in Mercedes heading into the weekend.