The first session at the
Belgian Grand Prix is complete, and it was
Max Verstappen who set the fastest time. The Red Bull driver set a time of 1:43.372. In second place was last week's race winner
Oscar Piastri, with Alex Albon behind in third.
Max Verstappen set the fastest time during the first free practice session of the weekend. The Dutchman remained at the top of the leaderboard throughout. Unlike Verstappen,
Esteban Ocon faced significant issues throughout the session. He was forced into the pits early on, and failed to make it back onto the track after a suspected water leak issue. There are growing reliability issues at Alpine after two consecutive DNFs for his teammate
Pierre Gasly.
Daniel Ricciardo had an early spin but recovered quickly.
Overall, the incident-free session was relatively straightforward. Nevertheless, a host of drivers complained over the radio of issues. Fernando Alonso questioned the functioning of his engine, whilst
Yuki Tsunoda complained of over and under steer issues at certain corners. Both Mercedes drivers also noted issues, with
George Russell saying he had no rear end, and
Lewis Hamilton making remarks over bouncing. The
FIA also confirmed during the session both Tsunoda and Verstappen would face grid penalties this weekend.