The FP2 session at Spa provided a stunning, action-packed hour of afternoon running amidst the rolling hills of the Ardennes, but the session itself was anything but smooth. After a weather-disrupted morning, the field headed out onto a completely dry Spa-Francorchamps circuit for this crucial practice hour. Kimi Antonelli led the way for Mercedes, but two red flags and several technical gremlins ensured that the teams will have a long night of data-guzzling ahead of them.
In the morning, Belgian-born Max Verstappen had set the initial benchmark for Red Bull Racing. However, the afternoon belonged to Antonelli, who surged to a 1:45.944, demonstrating the formidable straight-line speed of the Brackley-built chassis. The Italian’s benchmark remained untouched as track temperatures cooled, marking a highly competitive start to his weekend.
Strategy and pressure in the FP2 session at Spa
Coming into the tenth round of the Formula One season, Antonelli has been feeling the weight of a tightening championship battle. His teammate, George Russell, has chipped away at his lead, which now stands at 25 points. To steady his nerves, the young Italian recently spoke with tennis legend Roger Federer in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
“About pressure, he just told me to really focus one race at a time, focus on what you can control and also to control the emotions, especially the ones that can make you do mistakes” – Kimi Antonelli.
That advice seemed to pay dividends during the FP2 session at Spa. Antonelli looked extremely comfortable, asserting his authority over the field on the soft tyre compound. It was a polished performance from the nineteen-year-old, who appeared much more at ease with the W17 than his teammate.
In stark contrast, Russell struggled to find his rhythm and finished a distant eighth, more than 1.2 seconds off the pace. The British driver has openly admitted that adapting to the 2026 car is a steep learning curve.
“This year, we’ve seen a lot of trends that my style isn’t quite suiting what the power unit needs, what the tyres need, and we’re just needing to adapt the set-up to something that I’ve not really run before. It’s kind of forcing me to drive a bit more consciously rather than subconsciously, which is also a bit of a negative. I guess it’s like a golfer changing his swing, it’s probably going to take a small step backwards first, and then you relearn that new swing and it’s better” – George Russell.
Russell complained over the team radio that his rear tyres felt too cold, and Mercedes will have to dig deep to find the root cause of his deficit. The team cannot afford more slipped opportunities, a point that Toto Wolff made very clear earlier this week when he remarked that there is no value in having the pace if they do not bring home the results.
Red flags and rebuilds at Spa
The FP2 session at Spa was interrupted twice by red flags, preventing teams from completing their crucial high-fuel race simulations. The first stoppage occurred twenty minutes in, when Verstappen kicked up a significant amount of gravel onto the track at Stavelot. The pause was a blessing in disguise for Oscar Piastri, whose McLaren crew was frantically rebuilding his car following a hydraulic leak.
The second and more serious red flag came with just fourteen minutes remaining on the clock. Pierre Gasly lost the rear of his Alpine exiting the Fagnes chicane, sliding backwards into the outside barrier. While the Frenchman walked away unharmed, the heavy rear-end damage leaves his mechanics with a massive overnight rebuild.
Gasly’s accident was a double blow for Alpine, as it overshadowed a spectacular performance from Franco Colapinto. The Argentine driver adapted beautifully to the sweeping corners of Spa to finish seventh, just ahead of Russell’s Mercedes. Colapinto, who has been riding a wave of national pride as Argentina prepares for the World Cup final, proved that the Enstone-based squad has genuine midfield pace.
Further down the order, Lando Norris secured second place, finishing just 0.190 seconds behind Antonelli. Despite his strong pace in the FP2 session at Spa, Norris faces an uphill battle on Sunday. McLaren opted to fit his car with a fourth control electronics unit, which exceeds his seasonal allowance and triggers an automatic ten-place grid penalty.
Taking the penalty at Spa is a strategic calculation, as the circuit’s long straights offer excellent overtaking opportunities compared to the upcoming rounds in Hungary and Zandvoort. Norris is hoping that the upgraded electronics supplied by Mercedes will resolve the recurring reliability issues that have plagued his campaign.
Navigating the technical challenges
Behind the top two, Verstappen placed his Red Bull third, although his FP2 session at Spa was far from perfect. The four-time champion spent much of the hour venting his frustration over the team radio, describing his car’s gear shifts as completely unacceptable. Red Bull Racing has rolled back some of their recent aerodynamic upgrades this weekend, and Verstappen’s struggle suggests that the balance of power remains highly volatile.
Antonelli’s leading pace was backed up by Norris and Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top five. Piastri recovered to take sixth, followed closely by Colapinto’s Alpine and a struggling Russell. The Racing Bulls pairing of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top ten, leaving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc just outside in eleventh.
As the sun set over the paddock, the overall picture remained intriguing. Mercedes has the raw speed, but as the FP2 session at Spa proved, reliability and execution will determine who conquers the Ardennes. With unstable weather still looming over the weekend, the team that manages the energy deployment of these 2026 power units best will likely stand on the top step on Sunday.
