Antonelli tops final practice for the Belgian Grand Prix after another impressive display from Mercedes at Spa-Francorchamps. The Italian driver, who also led Friday’s second practice session, posted a 1:17.497 to finish ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, giving Mercedes plenty of confidence heading into qualifying.
Although the Silver Arrows finished on top, the margins remained incredibly close throughout the session. McLaren continued to improve as the track evolved, while Red Bull looked capable of challenging for pole despite not putting together a perfect lap.
Mercedes takes control after an eventful opening
The final practice session began with several drivers taking turns at the top of the timesheets. Isack Hadjar was the first to set a representative lap on medium tyres before Liam Lawson and Lewis Hamilton moved ahead on the soft compound.
Hamilton briefly looked to have the pace under control after extending his advantage by almost half a second. Oscar Piastri came within just 0.025 seconds of the Ferrari driver’s benchmark, but the seven-time World Champion responded immediately with another improvement.
As the session reached its halfway point, Verstappen reduced the gap to around three tenths, hinting that Red Bull remained firmly in contention. Moments later, Mercedes entered the fight. George Russell climbed into the top positions before Antonelli delivered the lap that ultimately secured the fastest time of the morning.
The Italian looked particularly comfortable through Spa’s high-speed sectors, carrying impressive speed through Eau Rouge and Raidillon before maintaining strong pace across the remainder of the lap.
Hamilton crashes as McLaren closes the gap
The session remained relatively clean until the closing stages, with only a minor issue interrupting the running when Hadjar stopped at the pit exit following a mechanical problem.
The biggest moment came just before the chequered flag. Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari at Turn 13 and slid into the barriers, damaging the rear suspension and bringing an abrupt end to his session. Although the Briton walked away unharmed, Ferrari’s mechanics were immediately left with work to complete ahead of qualifying.
At the same time, McLaren found another step in performance. Norris produced an excellent lap to move into second place, finishing just one tenth behind Antonelli. Piastri also improved considerably during the final minutes, but late improvements from Charles Leclerc dropped the Australian to seventh by the end of the session.
Despite missing out on the top positions, McLaren once again demonstrated the consistent pace that has made the team one of Mercedes’ biggest rivals throughout the weekend.
What can we expect from qualifying?
Antonelli tops final practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, but the battle for pole position remains far from settled.
Mercedes heads into qualifying with momentum after leading both Friday’s FP2 and Saturday’s final practice, yet the gaps separating the leading teams suggest that nothing can be taken for granted. Norris showed that McLaren has the pace to fight for the front row, while Verstappen remained within striking distance despite never putting together a completely clean lap.
Spa-Francorchamps has often rewarded drivers capable of finding confidence in the final moments of qualifying, and changing track conditions can quickly alter the competitive order. With Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull separated by only a few tenths throughout the session, every small improvement could prove decisive.
Another factor to watch is track evolution. As more rubber is laid down throughout the afternoon, grip levels are expected to improve, potentially allowing drivers to find crucial extra lap time. With such small margins separating the front-runners, even a slight improvement in conditions could prove decisive in the fight for pole position.
If final practice is any indication, qualifying promises to deliver one of the closest battles of the season, with Antonelli aiming to convert his impressive pace into another milestone in his breakthrough Formula 1 campaign.
