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Formula 1 Belgian GP

F1 Belgian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying

Updates from the Saturday practice and qualifying sessions at Spa-Francorchamps for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75

F1 returns after its summer break with major developments off the track taking focus, headlined by Audi’s announcement it will join the championship as a power unit supplier in 2026.

It followed a shake-up in the F1 driver market, as Daniel Ricciardo’s early split from McLaren at the end of the season was confirmed earlier this week. With Fernando Alonso heading to Aston Martin to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel in 2023, attention turns to Oscar Piastri and whether he will end up at Alpine or McLaren.

On the track, Max Verstappen leads the F1 world drivers’ championship by 80 points over Charles Leclerc thanks to back-to-back wins in France and Hungary before the summer break.

But both will start the Belgian GP from the back of the grid due to engine penalties, along with a handful of other F1 drivers.

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Lights green
Green light at the end of pitlane with four minutes left on the clock
Leclerc lost the endplate on the right of his front wing but made it back to the pits
The Ferrari driver is back out and says he doesn't think the car is damaged
Red flag
Red flag as Leclerc goes off in Sector 2! The Ferrari skids across the gravel and nudges the barrier at Turn 12
Nicholas Latifi is quickest in Sector 1, with Sainz fastest in S2 and Verstappen top in S3
Max Verstappen has been noted by race control for failing to slow under a yellow flag, although it's unclear whether they were displayed on track when he got to that sector
Norris goes second fastest overall, half a second down on Max Verstappen, before Sainz quickly demotes him with a 1m45.824s
Mercedes look to be making some changes to their setup as we head into the final 15 minutes of FP3
Stopwatch
Verstappen now leads with a 1m45.480s, with Perez in second and Sainz third
Stopwatch
Perez tops the timesheet with a 1m45.972s - almost 0.5s quicker than Sainz
The Mercedes pair put in another effort, with Hamilton in fourth 0.905s behind Sainz and Russell in eighth
Albon goes second, with purple first and third sectors from the Williams driver - a 1m46.836s
Stopwatch
Carlos Sainz immediately goes quickest with a 1m46.461s, with Charles Leclerc in second 0.429s behind him
The Ferraris have finally emerged! Both drivers are on their warm up lap currently
Stopwatch
Magnussen slots into third on his first attempt, with a 1m48.004s
Mick Schumacher has got a sensor issue - team principal Guenther Steiner says the team are investigating
Kevin Magnussen has now joined the action, with Sainz and Leclerc the last two cars yet to set times
Zhou Guanyu has joined the list of drivers with penalties this weekend with a gearbox change
The Alfa pair currently lead the times, with the Astons of Stroll and Vettel currently third and fourth
Our F1 reporter Luke Smith is down at Eau Rouge: "Red Bull looking the most planted car through the uphill complex. Alonso really seems to be gunning it too. Interesting to see the yellow marks being laid down where the cars bottom out and kick up sparks. Is there any better place to watch F1 cars?!"
Most the field is now out on track, with only the Ferrari pair and Kevin Magnussen still in the pits
Stopwatch
The Alfa pair are next to top the timesheets, with Zhou Guanyu leading the way with a 1m47.795s
Stopwatch
Albon leads so far of the drivers to have times on the board, with a 1m50.050s from the Williams driver
Sergio Perez is on a very rapid flying lap - the Red Bull is looking strong this weekend
Lewis Hamilton leads the field out for the final practice session of the weekend ahead of this afternoon's qualifying session
Lights green
Green light at the end of the pitlane - FP3 is underway!
There's a 30% chance of rain for this session, with track temperature currently 20.3C and a mild air temperature of 15.6C
Lewis Hamilton thinks Mercedes is a "long way off" at the Belgian GP, with he and George Russell finishing sixth and eighth in FP2 yesterday
Carlos Sainz led FP1 on Friday, while Max Verstappen was top in FP2. But several drivers, including the championship leader, will take engine penalties for tomorrow's race
Welcome back to Autosport's live updates from the Belgian Grand Prix! It's less than 15 minutes until the start of FP3

By: autosport.com

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