Why Antonelli Was So Much Faster Than Russell — Is Red Bull Better Than Expected?

Friday's running at the Belgian Grand Prix offered an early indication of the competitive picture at Spa-Francorchamps. Red Bull appears to have found a solid baseline, with Max Verstappen satisfied by the RB22's balance despite the team still conceding time on the straights through energy management. The reigning world champion also downplayed his critical radio comments about the car's downshifts after the session. Franco Colapinto emerged as one of Friday's standout performers, while Racing Bulls continued to underline its recent progress with another encouraging display. McLaren also showed competitive pace throughout the day, although Lando Norris explained why the revised characteristics of Blanchimont have made the iconic corner particularly challenging in 2026. Ferrari, meanwhile, endured a more subdued start to the weekend, lacking the outright pace to consistently challenge at the front. Ronald Vording analyses the key talking points from Friday at Spa, including Red Bull's decision not to run its rotating rear wing this weekend and the notable pace gap between Mercedes team-mates Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. FOLLOW us online: Website: https://www.autosport.com/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/AUTOSPORT Twitter: https://twitter.com/autosport Instagram: http://instagram.com/autosport