Antonelli Sets the Pace in Belgian GP Practice Two Ahead of Norris, Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive form by setting the fastest time for Mercedes in Friday’s second free practice session ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of reigning champion Lando Norris of McLaren.

The 19-year-old Italian posted a quickest lap of 1:45.944, beating Norris by 0.190 seconds. Norris, however, will start Sunday’s race with a 10-place grid penalty after taking a new battery. Max Verstappen completed the top three for Red Bull, ending the session 0.472 seconds behind Antonelli.

Verstappen showed improved performance after switching back to Red Bull’s conventional rear wing following criticism of the team’s experimental “Macarena” design, which the Dutchman had called dangerous. The four-time world champion had endured crashes at both the Austrian and British Grands Prix but responded strongly by topping the opening practice session earlier on Friday.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, finished fourth, ahead of Red Bull’s second driver Isack Hadjar, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.

Mercedes driver George Russell struggled for pace, ending the session eighth and more than 1.2 seconds slower than teammate Antonelli. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson followed, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was pushed down to 11th place after a challenging session.

The session came to an end after a lengthy red-flag interruption triggered by Pierre Gasly’s crash into the barriers while driving his Alpine. The Frenchman was able to walk away from the incident unharmed.

Following a brief shower between sessions, the action got underway with Kimi Antonelli immediately setting the pace with a 1:46.911 lap, while Max Verstappen looked to challenge the Mercedes driver before a short red-flag stoppage was required to remove gravel from the track.

Verstappen appeared frustrated during the interruption, voicing his concerns over gearbox issues.

When the session resumed, several drivers switched from medium to soft tyres as teams focused on qualifying simulations. Oscar Piastri returned to the track after McLaren completed repairs on a hydraulic problem that had delayed his running.

Isack Hadjar briefly took the top spot on soft tyres before Verstappen moved ahead, but Antonelli quickly responded to reclaim the lead. The Italian produced a 1:45.944 lap to finish nearly half a second clear of the competition.

Ferrari showed signs of improvement as both drivers delivered personal-best sectors during their qualifying simulations. However, Lewis Hamilton ultimately finished third behind Max Verstappen and ahead of Isack Hadjar, ending the session 0.747 seconds slower than Antonelli’s leading time.

George Russell, who trails his Mercedes teammate by 25 points in the drivers’ championship battle, attempted a run on soft tyres but could only manage sixth place, finishing 1.285 seconds behind the impressive Italian.

Oscar Piastri also struggled to match his McLaren teammate’s pace. While Lando Norris secured second place with a lap of 1:46.134, just two-tenths off the lead, Piastri ended the session sixth, nearly a second behind Antonelli’s benchmark.

With 15 minutes remaining, the session was halted by another red flag after Pierre Gasly lost control of his Alpine and made contact with the barriers at the Fagnes chicane. The French driver escaped unharmed, but his car suffered damage, including a missing rear wing.

The stoppage lasted 13 minutes, leaving teams with only two minutes of running at the end of the session to complete their final checks and practice starts on the uphill grid.