Lando Norris stunned everyone by topping the timesheets in the second practice session (FP2) for the Belgian Grand Prix, with his teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen not far behind. The practice session at Spa-Francorchamps saw some unexpected twists that spiced up the competition.
Under a sky that threatened rain, Verstappen quickly set the pace on medium tires. His early laps had him leading with a time of 1m43.456s, which he later improved to 1m43.339s. However, Norris, on soft tires from the start, was hot on his heels, just 0.1s behind initially and then 0.2s after Verstappen’s improvement.
As the session progressed, Carlos Sainz kicked off the qualifying simulation runs, posting a 1m43.098s. But it was Piastri who stole the show next, clocking in at 1m42.475s despite a close call at Turn 9. Verstappen tried his hand on soft tires but couldn’t surpass Piastri, trailing by a mere 0.002s due to losing time in the third sector.
Norris, back on track with new softs, pulled off a stellar lap. He clocked a 1m42.260s, taking the lead by 0.215s over Piastri and 0.217s over Verstappen. Meanwhile, George Russell was the fastest Mercedes driver, finishing sixth, followed by Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen, who both outpaced Sergio Perez on lower-fuel runs.
Perez struggled, finishing 1.244s behind Norris and 1.27s behind Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton completed the top ten. Towards the end of FP2, drivers switched to race simulations as the skies grew darker. Piastri had another shaky moment at Turn 11, while Norris spent a significant period in the pits.
Daniel Ricciardo’s session was cut short due to a suspected rollbar issue. Both Williams drivers, Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant, who had impressive runs in FP1, couldn’t replicate their performance, finishing 17th and 18th respectively.
Norris and Piastri gave a strong performance for McLaren, hinting at exciting battles ahead. Verstappen’s pace remains formidable, but the growing pressure on Perez is evident. With rain on the horizon and qualifying simulations done, the Belgian Grand Prix promises unpredictable thrills.
