Max Verstappen was fastest by more than half a second in the first Belgian Grand Prix 2024 practice but will start Sunday’s race with a 10-place penalty because his Red Bull car has been fitted with a new internal combustion engines (ICE).
Reigning champion Verstappen finished ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Williams’ Alex Albon and Mercedes’ George Russell, having exceeded the limit of four ICEs drivers are allowed to use during a season without a penalty.
McLaren driver Lando Norris, who is 76 points behind Verstappen in second place in the standings, finished more than a second off the pace in eighth.
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F1 Belgian Grand Prix: Verstappen penalty
“Max is flying,” McLaren chief executive Zak Brown told Sky Sports F1. “Max’s second sector was pretty awesome.
“You’ve got to assume he’s on for pole, which means P11. You can pass around here – I think he went from 20th to ninth not long ago.
“It would be a big mistake to think he can’t go from P11 to P1, but we’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity we can.”
Verstappen surged to victory from ninth at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix and could feel confident of charging up the grid this time because of the propensity for overtaking offered by the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
The 26-year-old has won each of the last three editions of the race, with Lewis Hamilton – on four victories – the only current driver with a better record on the track.
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Belgian Grand Prix schedule
Second practice takes place at 4pm BST on Friday, with the third session at 11.30am on Saturday, qualifying at 3pm and the race at 2pm on Sunday.
Piastri’s triumph in Hungary on Sunday, when means Verstappen, who came fourth, is on his longest winless run since 2021.
He won four of the first five races of the season to set himself on course for a procession to match his 2023 campaign but has prevailed in three of eight since.
Red Bull are 51 points ahead of McLaren at the top of the constructor standings, having beaten Mercedes into second by 451 points last season.
