F1 Belgian GP Live Commentary and Updates – FP1 & FP2
Friday's action from the 14th round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
F1 concludes its latest double-header at Spa before heading into its summer break, following a dramatic McLaren 1-2 in Hungary last weekend.
First practice starts at 12:30pm BST, followed by second practice at 4pm BST.
Live Text
Ruining the neat order, Leclerc has climbed past Norris into fifth with a 1m45.324s on his final effort before returning to the garage.
Behind Verstappen, it's two by two, with the Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari pairs following.
Perez remains 10th, a position Red Bull will be desperate to see improve.
We're into a slight lull in the session at present, with the top five all back in the garages.
But while we report good news, the floor of Ocon's Alpine has now been removed.
Information from Alpine on Ocon's problems is that "the team is looking into a suspected water leak on Esteban’s car". This has been seen with other cars lately and hasn't guaranteed it's session over. There is hope yet!
Highlighting that Mercedes should again be in the mix this weekend, Russell and Hamilton push themselves up to 2nd and 3rd on their latest tours.
Russell, Norris and Magnussen add their names to the list of drivers reported to have stopped on the track due to their extremely slow cooldown laps. Expect changes in the race director's notes to put an end to this!
A 1m44.550s from Verstappen on his latest effort lowers the bar, with Piastri and Norris following behind, although 0.7s back.
Ocon looks set for a long sting in the garage. His car is being lifted into the air with an as yet unspecified problem.
Drivers are going so slowly on cool laps that Verstappen, Hamilton and Perez have all shown as having "stopped" on the track between flying laps. Hulkenberg now joins the number.
A lucky escape for Ricciardo there who caused the yellow flags to fly with a spin across the track at La Source. He narrowly avoids contact with the wall but puts huge flat spots on his hard Pirelli tyres.
The early target from Verstappen is a 1m44.706s.
There is a fairly even split of hard and medium tyres on show for these initial installation laps. Only Sargeant and Magnussen are yet to take to the track.
Noticeable on Verstappen's Red Bull is that the upgrades from Hungary are missing this weekend, although it was known that the changes would not feature at every track, so it's less of a downgrade and more a simple change.
Russell, Hamilton and Tsunoda immediately head out on to the track with Red Bull slightly slower to react.
Green lights! We are go for FP1.
Two minutes until the green light and, with Spa being such a long track, every lap will be crucial in the coming session.
But away from the special Alpine look, we have some technical updates, as McLaren and Mercedes showcase their low-drag wings and circuit-specific front and rear wings.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mclaren-mercedes-demonstrate-low-drag-spa-f1-updates/10638943/
As if the livery wasn't enough, the helmets of Gasly and Ocon which showcase the film's protagonists, are equally brilliant and will likely sell well in the replicas market!
Across the season, there are often some special liveries. But this weekend has an immediate classic, as Alpine teams up with the new Deadpool and Wolverine film.
In the drivers championship, Verstappen, who is likely to have a grid penalty for an ICE change, will not want to see his lead eaten into any further by Lando Norris.
The coming weekend will set the tone for how various teams enter the summer shutdown period, with Red Bull likely to want an improved result to dishearten the chasing pack, especially McLaren.
Good afternoon and welcome to Spa Francorchamps for first practice at the Belgian Grand Prix! The weather is currently dry although there is a 30% chance of rain - and this is Spa!
Talking of wings and car parts, here's the latest on what the F1 teams have brought to Spa this weekend, highlighted by low-drag updates at McLaren and Mercedes.
One new topic to keep an eye for during today's practice sessions is the FIA's latest video analysis to better understand flexi front wings used by teams. Here's what to watch out for.
Ferrari SF-24 technical detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Verstappen's 10-place grid drop for a new engine had already been indicated and a second driver has just been revealed set to take a grid penalty: Tsunoda. The Japanese driver has been given an all-new everything with his power unit so he will start the Spa race at the back of the grid.
So, how does the F1 driver market look as we head into the summer break? Well, in theory just five seats are left to be filled on the 2025 grid (discounting what might happen or not happen at Red Bull) but it is an ever-changing scene. Here's the latest.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team, Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team, Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Meanwhile, McLaren's team orders saga has been digested by the F1 paddock, with Norris admitting upon review he wasn't "too proud" of his actions arguing with the team and overshadowing its first 1-2 finish since the 2021 Italian GP.
Turning the focus to on-track matters, following the Hungarian GP fallout, Verstappen says he won't change his tone over the team radio as he explained how it gets the best out of his Red Bull team. The Dutch driver has faced criticism, not least from Hamilton, but he shrugged off the matter when he faced the media yesterday.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Speaking of team boss changes, Alpine looks set for another swap at the top, with Hitech boss Oliver Oakes tipped to become its new team principal in place of Bruno Famin. Full story here.
Another key factor in the driver market is Carlos Sainz. He's yet to make his mind up, seemingly having options still open at Sauber/Audi, Williams and Alpine. Following his former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto's arrival at the Swiss-based squad, he's given an update on his future here.
Mattia Binotto, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Photo by: Erik Junius
Meanwhile, Antonelli will test Mercedes' 2022 F1 car after the Belgian GP at Spa as the team weighs up if he is ready to step up and replace the Ferrari-bound Hamilton.
Yesterday started with the announcement that Ocon will join Haas from 2025 on a multi-year deal. The French driver completes the team's all-new F1 driver line-up as he joins alongside rookie Ollie Bearman. Full story here.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Hello and welcome to today's live Formula 1 live text coverage. Opening practice for the Belgian GP starts at 12:30pm BST, so before that let's get up to speed with the latest news from the Spa-Francorchamps paddock.
By: Autosport Staff
