Max Verstappen showed strong pace during the Friday practice sessions at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, securing top-three finishes in both FP1 and FP2. Despite topping the first session with a lap time of 1m 50.654s, Verstappen faced some challenges, including gear shift issues that caused him to run wide onto a gravel trap and briefly brought out a red flag.
In FP2, Verstappen was third fastest behind Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris. While he expressed satisfaction with the car’s overall balance and performance, he also acknowledged a noticeable gap to his rivals, which became clearer during the second session. These sessions highlighted the ongoing work needed to fine-tune the car ahead of qualifying.
One key factor affecting Verstappen’s performance was his adaptation to an older specification rear wing. Red Bull Racing reintroduced this component after crashes linked to a faulty updated rear wing part in previous rounds at Austria and Great Britain. According to Red Bull’s Technical Director Pierre Wache, the wing “opens differently” and the team prioritizes both safety and performance improvements with this setup.
Despite the positive start to the weekend, Verstappen and his team are aware that the car’s balance is not yet perfect. There is also some degradation observed during longer runs, which remains an area for improvement. The sessions at Spa-Francorchamps provided a solid foundation for Red Bull Racing to work on these aspects as the weekend progresses.
Verstappen’s cautious approach reflects the competitive nature of the field, with the Belgian Grand Prix offering a demanding circuit that tests both driver skill and car setup. Managing technical issues like gear shifting while adapting to revised aerodynamic parts is part of the challenge the team faces in maintaining their performance level.
Overall, Friday’s practice sessions at Spa-Francorchamps showed that Verstappen and Red Bull Racing are making progress but still have work to do to close the gap to their closest rivals. The focus remains on refining the car’s balance and addressing degradation to optimise performance for qualifying and the race.
