Oscar Piastri started his weekend at Spa-Francorchamps in the best possible way, putting his McLare top of the Belgian GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results, just ahead of Max Verstappen in the Red Bull with Lando Norris in the third fastest in the first practice session of the F1 weekend.
On a circuit renowned for its unpredictability and technical demands, Piastri’s pace was a clear warning to rivals as the championship leader delivered a flawless late-session flyer, setting a benchmark lap that nobody could match.
Friday’s FP1 session was more than just a warm-up for the grid. It marked a crucial moment in Formula 1’s in-season development race, with eight teams rolling out significant aerodynamic upgrades in the search for performance on Spa’s long straights and sweeping corners.
F1 Belgian GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Belgian GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first practice session at Spa below.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:42.022 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.404 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.504 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.576 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.906 |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.957 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.063 |
| 8 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1.090 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.098 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.100 |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.195 |
| 12 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +1.239 |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +1.240 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +1.448 |
| 15 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.456 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.548 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.907 |
| 18 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +2.470 |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +2.825 |
| 20 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +3.055 |
For much of the first hour, however, the focus remained on car balance and set-up, as teams worked methodically through data gathering and adjustment. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari spent much of that period at the top of the timing screens, running on Pirelli’s hardest C1 compound, with the field holding back their true pace.
Incidents provided early drama, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Franco Colapinto both found trouble at La Source and Lewis Hamilton had an off at Les Combes. There was also an awkward moment between Hamilton and Gabriel Bortoleto at Eau Rouge, with the rookie unhappy about being impeded by the veteran.
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Piastri’s late charge shakes up the order
With just over fifteen minutes remaining, the energy in the pit lane shifted as teams finally bolted on the soft C4 tyres for low-fuel runs. Lance Stroll momentarily snatched the fastest time for Aston Martin, but Piastri’s next effort on a new low-downforce rear wing package left his rivals in the dust. He first logged a 1:42.123 before improving to 1:42.022, putting clear daylight between himself and the rest of the field.
The session was especially significant given the sheer number of upgrades on display. Teams like McLaren, Aston Martin, and Red Bull were pushing hard to assess the impact of new wings and floor configurations, searching for every last advantage ahead of a Sprint weekend where every session matters.
Max Verstappen ran a back-to-back comparison of Red Bull’s latest and previous front wing iterations, and although he finished second, his feedback made clear that the car still did not feel quite right. “It felt weird, with a lot of mid-corner understeer,” Verstappen told his engineers, underlining the team’s ongoing struggles to recapture their previous dominance.
Lando Norris had a scrappy session, running wide on his initial qualifying simulation, but recovered to slot into third, just behind Verstappen but half a second down on his team-mate’s pace. Behind them, George Russell again showed his consistency for Mercedes, leading Leclerc and fellow Silver Arrow Antonelli. Hamilton, Stroll, and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten, while Isack Hadjar impressed in his Racing Bulls entry.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz suffered an early setback with a fuel system glitch but recovered to complete valuable laps, narrowly missing out on a top ten time.
Sprint Qualifying now looms on the horizon, with teams scrambling to finalise set-ups and drivers eager to make their mark ahead of Saturday’s high-stakes shootout.
