By Mark Gero
Kimi Antonelli proved Friday at the Spa-Francochamps Circuit that he could be a front runner in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix by setting the fastest time in Friday practice, with 1:45:944 ahead of the McLaren of Lando Norris and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who took the morning practice session.
Lewis Hamilton led the Ferrari charge taking fourth, with the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar in fifth. Oscar Piastri was sixth in his McLaren.
Franco Colapinto was seventh in the Alpine with the Mercedes of George Russell a disappointing eighth. The two Racing Bulls followed with Arvid Lindblad ninth and Liam Lawson tenth.
Antonelli set his best time midway through the afternoon session, that had two red flag periods when Verstappen went through Pouhon and collected a lot of gravel, which made officials realize that it was too dangerous to run over safely. With 14 minutes left in the session, the Alpine of Pierre Gasly crashed into the wall at Fagnes and lost his rear wing in the process. The following minutes were slow in cleaning up the debris that the Frenchman laid down, and by the time it was completed, the drivers could only run one good flying lap before the session finished.
With the qualifying to follow on Saturday after the morning free practice three, it seems like the dry weather so far is giving the top drivers a dominant place up front. But if the weather has any sort of rain, as it mostly does, the order could be different for not only the qualifying, but the race.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 