Max Verstappen sets pace in FP1 at Belgian Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

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Max Verstappen set the benchmark in Friday afternoon’s FP1 session at the Belgian Grand Prix, with the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc rounding out the top three.

The F1 grid arrived at the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps ahead of its final appearance on the calendar as a permanent race track. The Belgian Grand Prix will return next year, but as part of a rotational deal with the Circuit de Barcelona.

Max Verstappen leads Ferrari in FP1 at Spa – Can Red Bull keep up this pace without their Macarena rear wing?

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Charles Leclerc enters the weekend as the reigning race winner, following the Ferrari star’s clinching of victory at the British Grand Prix a fortnight ago. The feat marked the second time that Mercedes had been beaten this season, which firmly bolstered the Scuderia’s hopes.

On the other side of the pit lane, Aston Martin decided to use the third of their four mandatory rookie runs in FP1 at Spa, with Jak Crawford taking the reins of Fernando Alonso’s AMR26. He was the only reserve driver to take part in the opening practice session.

• READ MORE: Belgian Grand Prix 2026: How to watch, F1 race and qualifying start times, and Spa weather forecast

Max Verstappen sets the pace during FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar held the top spot on the timesheets after the first 10 minutes of running in FP1, with the Frenchman’s initial effort on soft tyres putting a gap of just under four tenths between himself and the rest of the grid.

Williams turned heads as they appeared to swap Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz’s front wings around after their installation laps. Team principal James Vowles later confirmed the quick swap was made for data collection purposes.

Max Verstappen was the first driver to eke his way into the 1:47s, before Hadjar immediately snatched the top spot back. Kimi Antonelli then shared his fury with Sainz, after the Spaniard was seen dawdling on the racing line at the exit of turn 15.

Sainz was then noted by the stewards for crossing the white line upon his entry to the pit lane. The Spaniard blamed it on the gearbox in his Williams FW48, and will be taking a trip to race control following the conclusion of FP1.

Verstappen clocked in his first laps on the softer Pirelli rubber at the midway point of the session, and immediately made a play for the 1:46s. The Dutchman was seven hundredths shy on his initial attempt, as the Mercedes duo joined him on the red side-walled tyres.

Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton showed strong pace throughout the entirety of the first hour-long session of free practice. Verstappen remained at the top as time ticked down to the final 15 minutes, with Hamilton in P2 and the Monegasque racing driver in P3.

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A quick skirmish in the gravel was next for Leclerc, while images appeared to show Lance Stroll’s AMR26 suffering from a loose camera mount on his front wing. The Canadian ended FP1 with the 21st best effort of the session, some 5.7s off of Verstappen’s benchmark.

With just a couple of minutes remaining, Oscar Piastri brought out yellow flags at the end of the Kemmel straight as he appeared to stop at the side of the track. An issue with his hydraulics was deemed to be the issue, and the Australian was able to limp back to the pits.

Verstappen remained on top as the chequered flag fell, with Hamilton and Leclerc rounding out the top three. Hadjar and Piastri completed the top five, with the championship-leading duo of Antonelli and George Russell ending up in P6 and P8, respectively.

• READ MORE: Belgian Grand Prix predictions as F1 experts decide if Ferrari can beat Mercedes to the win at Spa

Full FP1 timesheets at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix