What the teams said – Friday in Belgium

McLaren

Piastri picked up where he left off last weekend, looking quick from the get-go. He couldn’t beat Verstappen’s time but was the closest to the Dutchman, which is some consolation. Norris was slightly further back, feeling his way into the weekend as he so often does. But in FP2, McLaren came to the fore – Norris running two sets of softs on his way to P1, with Piastri a shade behind. Both drivers pipped Verstappen though, which is further good news for a team widely considered the current quickest in F1 on merit.

Lando Norris – FP1: 1:44.415, P8; FP2: 1:42.260, P1

"It’s been a reasonable day. The car seems quick, and we’ve gathered some good information. I’ve still got some work to do tomorrow on making sure I feel comfortable in the car, but I started to find more of a rhythm in the end. We’ll see what tomorrow holds."

Oscar Piastri - FP1: 1:43.903, P2; FP2: 1:42.475, P2

"It’s been two positive sessions for the team. The pace has been good all day, and we got some good data to learn from overnight. I’m feeling in a strong position going into tomorrow - let’s see what the weather brings."

Andrea Stella, Team Principal

"A positive first day at Spa-Francorchamps. The drivers were able to work through their programmes without interruption. We concentrated on understanding tyre performance, and with half the circuit newly resurfaced, there was a lot to learn. We have gathered good data and will work hard to understand it this evening, to improve the car and put ourselves in the best position for Qualifying tomorrow and to be competitive on Sunday."

Red Bull

Verstappen started his weekend very well, with exceptionally quick times on both the hard compound and the soft. His leading FP1 time was over half a second clear of the field – with the only cloud on the horizon the fact he’ll be taking a grid drop for Sunday’s race after taking on a new ICE. Perez struggled slightly more, complaining of both under and oversteer in the opening session. Roll on FP2, and Verstappen still looked quick – but ominously, he was pipped by the McLaren duo. Watching those three slug it out tomorrow in changeable conditions should be fascinating.

Max Verstappen – FP1: 1:43.372, P1; FP2: 1:42.477, P3

“We tried quite a few things today, tweaking and testing the car, because it is typically Spa where of course you have sector one and three where you want the top speed and then a very long middle sector where you want a cornering speed. It is always very tricky to find the right balance when you are trying a few things to see what is better. We’ll look at it on the data and analyse the day in debrief. We started off quite positively today and have some things to work on from FP2, so there are a few things to look at. Hopefully all the changes that we made will come together, especially as I will be starting near the back for the race because of the engine penalty. However, we will try to optimise this as much as we can. Naturally, you always want a good qualifying, but the race is our focus."

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:44.329, P7; FP2: 1:43.504, P9

"During the practice sessions we have been playing around with the set-up, but haven’t been able to fully extract everything out of the car yet. The Team got plenty of information from today with both cars running quite different and there’s a lot to analyse for tomorrow’s strategy. It is going to be an interesting weekend coming up, tomorrow’s qualifying could be potentially wet and Sunday is looking dry at the moment. Going in to the weekend there are still a lot of unknowns so we’ll need to be able to adapt."

Mercedes

Russell shaded his team mate on both the medium and the soft compound tyres in FP1, but there wasn’t much between the duo in the early running. Hamilton did complain of some bouncing though, with the onboard cameras picking up what looked like a worrying return of some porpoising. Running very low, the Mercedes duo dropped back slightly in FP2. Hamilton didn’t manage to get a representative lap in on the softs after picking up traffic, so there is more to come from him at a track where he has six previous poles.

Lewis Hamilton – FP1: 1:44.279, P5; FP2: 1:43.519, P10

"Today wasn’t our best day as the car wasn’t feeling particularly strong. FP1 wasn’t great and we worked on some changes for FP2. That initially improved the balance and it felt good, but once we put the Soft tyre on we struggled more. It was definitely an improvement overall, but others took a step forward to too. We’ve got some time to find overnight, and we will be aiming to do so.

"There could be some wet weather tomorrow so that good change things up. If it does rain, it will likely open things up a little bit and we can hopefully take advantage of that. Let’s see what Saturday brings."

George Russell - FP1: 1:44.225, P4; FP2: 1:43.290, P6

"It is always nice to be here at Spa-Francorchamps and getting to drive a car in anger around this incredible circuit. The resurfaced tarmac has also made it extra fast this year. We’ve got some work to do overnight to find some lap time. The McLarens and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen looked to be a step ahead of us today. We need to dig through the data and put in the work in the simulator at Brackley to hopefully unearth some gains and get closer to them. I’m sure we can do that.

"Tomorrow will definitely be a very different day if we are able to do so. The forecast is also for rain tomorrow so that will add another factor into the mix. We have often had good Fridays and the others have caught up come Saturday, so hopefully it will be us doing that this weekend."

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

"We've struggled with the car today so we will be working hard overnight as to how to improve for tomorrow. We are losing time across the full speed range, rather than in specific corners, and the long run isn't where we need it to be either. Both of those are linked by a lack of balance and grip.

"We therefore have plenty of work to do. We have our team in the simulator back at Brackley already looking at setup options and aiming to make solid progress. There is a good chance we will see some wet running tomorrow. That may make it difficult to evaluate overnight changes, but we will see what we can learn and what Saturday brings."

Ferrari

Ferrari were there or thereabouts in FP1, both drivers still getting used to their new floor that was introduced in Hungary. They upped the ante in FP2, both finishing in the top five and were ahead of the Mercedes which is the first step. But they were still half a second behind Norris which is less ideal – but with all of today’s data, their understanding of that floor will only increase, and with it their ability to extract more pace from their package.

Charles Leclerc - FP1: 1:44.306, P6; FP2: 1:42.837, P4

"A difficult day to understand, running with various set ups and tyres, with all the teams on their own run plans.

"We don’t yet have a clear picture and with the expectation of rain tomorrow and dry conditions on Sunday, we will work to find the best compromise to extract the maximum on both days. It’s our last race before the holidays, so we will give it everything to finish it on a high."

Carlos Sainz - FP1: 1:44.574, P9; FP2: 1:43.098, P5

"This year we found a very different track compared to previous years due to the new asphalt. We had to adapt the car to these new conditions and bumps, but overall the new surface provides a lot more grip. We need to keep an eye out for tyre degradation and race simulation was an important part of our Friday programme. Tomorrow we'll try to focus on maximising the package we have and qualify as high up as possible."

Aston Martin

Not much to report from Aston Martin’s opening practice session of the weekend, both drivers on the fringes of the top 10 and delivering solid laps – even if Alonso did question his engine at one point, such was his perceived lack of speed through the first sector. They were in a similar position in FP2, and will need to pull something out the bag if qualifying is dry. But if it is wet, both drivers will fancy their chances – with Stroll’s only pole position to date coming in the wet in Turkey.

Fernando Alonso – FP1: 1:44.921, P12; FP2: 1:43.538, P12

"We got a lot of laps in today so we'll analyse the data tonight and see what we can learn.

"Rain is possible tomorrow for Qualifying so we'll have to be sharp with the decisions we make if we do get changeable conditions.

"We'll work hard tonight to work out the best car setup for what lies ahead this weekend."

Lance Stroll - FP1: 1:44.699, P10; FP2: 1:43.532, P11

"It's always nice coming back to Spa, it's a great track and a lot of fun to drive around here.

"We got a lot of laps in over the two sessions. We tried a few different things on the car and we'll learn a lot from that.

"Tomorrow looks set to be wet so that brings its own challenges and we'll work hard to try and take advantage of any unpredictability."

Haas

Haas expect this track to suit their car more than Hungary did, but they kept their heads down in FP1 and concentrated on installation laps and getting used to the track. FP2 didn’t go much better, all things considered, on pure pace for Hulkenberg at least, although the German did set his flying lap quite early. But Magnussen showed the potential of the car with eighth in FP2, and seems to have found a set-up that is moving in the right direction for the weekend.

READ MORE: FP2 - Norris tops the second practice times ahead of Piastri and Verstappen in Belgium

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:45.645, P17; FP2: 1:43.846, P16

“It was a tricky Friday in some ways, I didn’t feel the happiest in the car so we need to analyse the data overnight and find a bit more of a sweet spot and harmony between balance and performance. We learned some things today though so it’s all about putting it together tomorrow and putting the best package together. The weather in qualifying could be quite a bit different to Sunday so we’ll need to take a decision on set-up and downforce, it’s going to be interesting.”

Kevin Magnussen – FP1: 1:45.812, P18; FP2: 1:43.485, P8

“It was a pretty good day; we were looking at different downforce levels and it’s always difficult to pick the right one in Spa. The nature of the track is between different levels of downforce and with the weather also you need to factor in the risk of having to run in the wet, it’s not an easy situation but it’s the same for everyone. Over one lap, it doesn’t matter so much around here as although it means something to start up-front, in the race you can overtake quite easily here, and you need good race pace. We looked decent in FP2, so let’s see.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“In FP1 we struggled quite a bit with neither driver being happy with consistency through corner balance. In FP2 we took a different strategy across the cars because we’ve got the change of weather conditions expected tomorrow, so we wanted to get as much data as possible. I think the strategy of splitting worked – we haven’t taken any decisions yet – but certainly we’ve got a good amount of data to look through tonight. I think we made a good step from FP1 to FP2, we’re certainly in a better position, and in the high-fuel run we were okay but we can still definitely improve. I think it’s been a productive Friday, we just need to decide the correct set-up for the compromise between a potentially wet qualifying and a dry race.”

Williams

Albon put in the most eye-catching lap of FP1, a late foray onto the softs yielding third overall. It was an impressive effort, and certainly makes Williams one to watch this weekend – but with fuel loads an unknown, it remains to be seen where they genuinely fall in the pecking order. With Albon backing that up with P17, Williams perhaps don’t have the pace to worry those at the front – but they are a team that can do something special if the rain arrives in earnest.

Alex Albon - FP1: 1:44.099, P3; FP2: 1:43.892, P17

"The car felt fine today; FP1 was really strong but not as representative of our actual pace. FP2, we reversed in the time sheets, but I think we’re somewhere in between. We had a good stint on the Mediums, then we put the Softs on and had a lot of traffic and messy running around us, but I don’t think we’re in a bad position despite some areas we need to improve. Looking to tomorrow, I think with some setup and tyre work we’ll be in the fight for Q3 but let’s see."

Logan Sargeant - FP1: 1:45.311, P15; FP2: 1:44.226, P18

It hasn’t been an easy day. I feel like I was missing something personally, which I was starting to find by the end of FP2, so it’s trending in the right direction at least, but we have our work cut out. We will keep chipping away at it and get the car into a better window. Tomorrow still looks tricky as it looks like it will be wet, so this weekend is far from over. The weather throws a new curveball, and you never know what that will bring.

Sven Smeets, Sporting Director

"Today we were able to test everything we wanted in both Free Practice sessions. Alex was fairly happy straight away with the car and has a few areas he wants to improve for tomorrow. Logan wasn’t happy with the car but after good work with his team, he made a good step in the right direction after completing FP2. Tonight, there is still work to do to improve the car, but we are in Spa and inevitably the weather will change drastically for tomorrow. Rain is expected which will make things more complicated but will also create opportunities, so we have to be on it from FP3 onwards."

RB

With Tsunoda knowing he was set to start from the back of the field thanks to a raft of engine-related grid penalties coming his way, RB have opted to run a slightly different programme for him with longer runs the focus. He may be needed to tow his team mate in qualifying though, so did still run the softs. As for Ricciardo, a late issue in second practice saw him pull into the pits – but he was soon back out, so whatever the problem, it didn’t derail his session.

READ MORE: Verstappen and Tsunoda hit with grid penalties at Belgian GP after engine changes

Daniel Ricciardo - FP1: 1:44.950, P13; FP2: 1:43.823, P14

"It was nice to drive here today in dry conditions; they resurfaced part of the track, and a lot of corners have more grip which feels good. Today was a proper test day for us, we tried a lot of things, and I was happier in FP2 compared to this morning. We still need to find a few more tenths for tomorrow but it may rain, and if quali is the only wet session, we won’t have much time to figure it out and find the grip. This will be a challenge for all of us. Sunday looks dry though, so at least we are comfortable, given what we learned today.”

Yuki Tsunoda - FP1: 1:45.564, P16; FP2: 1:44.348, P20

"We tried a few things today and know some areas we want to look at and improve tomorrow. I have a grid penalty on Sunday for taking new power unit elements, so it’ll be about maximising as much as possible this weekend. The track has a new surface in places which is nice and smooth, and I was able to find more grip. It’s a nice modification and we have a good opportunity to learn more tomorrow and find the most optimum set up. Usually, we perform quite well in the rain, and with the conditions looking mixed this weekend it throws another element into the mix.”

Alan Permane, Racing Director

"A tough day on our side, we have Yuki starting from the back of the grid on Sunday due to his PU penalty, so he’s been focusing a little bit more on race preparation. We’ve got some work to do to find some more rear grip, so we’ll be working in the simulator overnight with several set-up items to test out, with a view to trying those on the car in FP3. On a positive note, Daniel’s long run pace was not only quick, but had very low degradation. We have much more confidence in our long run pace than our short run pace and we’ll be aiming to improve that for tomorrow.”

Alpine

Ocon’s weekend didn’t start well – one lap into the session, the team detected a suspected water leak and pulled him in for investigations. Those took the whole session, leaving the Frenchman very short of practice time. He came out early in FP2 to make up for that lost time, and managed 23 laps and a very credible P7. Gasly was slightly further back after spending a chunk of time on the mediums, but at least now the team have a platform to build from.

Esteban Ocon - FP1: No time set, P20; FP2: 1:43.401, P7

“It is a pleasure to be back at Spa-Francorchamps and driving at this awesome circuit. This morning, unfortunately, we had a water leak on my car, which ended my session early while the team fixed the issue. In Free Practice 2 this afternoon, we were able to run to our programme and get some much-needed laps in. Our low fuel runs looked encouraging but it looks like our long runs need some work, especially on tyre management. We managed to gain plenty of information across both cars today and now it will be important to run through that see what works and what does not and make the necessary changes ahead of tomorrow.”

Pierre Gasly - FP1: 1:44.833, P11; FP2: 1:43.829, P15

“It is always mixed emotions coming back to race at Spa-Francorchamps. It’s a truly unique circuit. I love driving a Formula 1 car here as is the case in Free Practice today and it is right up there amongst my favourite circuits. We have some upgrades this weekend so it’s important for us to get them running and help us understand more about the performance. Free Practice 1 was good but we had a couple of small problems in Free Practice 2, which probably masked our performance. We have a lot of data to run through, some comparisons to make to the other car and we go again tomorrow ready for a busy day on track.”

Kick Sauber

Two P19 finishes for Zhou isn’t the ideal start for the team, who are still trying to understand their large upgrade package that debuted in Hungary last weekend. Like many others, they are running a different rear wing assembly here though, so all lap time was appreciated as they tried to get to grips with their set-up. Bottas finished slightly further ahead and should be confident of making Q2 as a result – but with the weather set to play a part, that pecking order could change hugely.

Valtteri Bottas - FP1: 1:45.155, P14; FP2: 1:43.675, P13

“Today has been a productive day of learning – this track never disappoints. We got to further test and understand the new parts introduced in Budapest, although Spa is obviously very different, while trying different configurations to get a clear picture of what we will need from our car for Sunday. While we enjoyed two dry sessions today, the question mark remains on tomorrow’s forecast – there’s some rain expected, which wouldn’t be unusual for Spa. In any case, we got a decent number of long runs under our belt today, gathering useful data for us to work on overnight. Sunday remains our top priority, and the sun is supposed to be out again by then – so we will need to set the car up accordingly.”

Zhou Guanyu - FP1: 1:45.995, P19; FP2: 1:44.302, P19

“Today was quite a tricky day at the office, but we managed to get through our programme and collect a vast amount of data and information to compare my package with the new upgrades used by Valtteri. It’s clear that we need to make significant progress to find some more pace: it’s rather difficult to be fighting for the top 10 – and even the top 15. While we’re there with the group, I reckon we’re at the back at this moment. Now it’s time for us to regroup, analyse the data, and try to find a few more tenths to be closer to our competitors. Let’s see what the weather has in store tomorrow and what that means for the performance of our car. Spa always has some surprises in its pocket, which could help me to put myself more into position.”

Pirelli

Simone Berra, Chief Engineer

“It looks like being a particularly demanding weekend on the tyre front, as in fact was to be expected on a special track like Spa-Francorchamps. The fact that large sections of the track have been resurfaced has seen a significant increase in grip which, on the one hand, has made the track much quicker, already by almost 1”4 compared to the pole from two years ago, the last time there was a realistic reference point, while on the other hand it has probably led to an increase in graining, especially on the Medium and Soft and therefore a consequent increase in performance degradation over a long distance. In both sessions, we also saw a marked track evolution.

“As the track is expected to be mainly wet tomorrow and then dry on Sunday, the teams will have to rely on the data gathered today to come up with the best set-up and strategies on a track where it is already more complicated than usual to find the right compromise between the need for aerodynamic downforce to stop the tyres from sliding, especially in the second sector, and maintaining good top speed to be competitive in the quicker first and third sectors. Compared to what we saw over the previous two years with this new generation of cars, the C2 seemed to be pretty competitive and could be a valid choice for the race, which explains why four teams have kept two sets for each of their drivers.”

WATCH: Ride onboard as Norris sets the fastest lap of Friday in Belgium