2024 Belgian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 F1 results
Max Verstappen set the pace in first practice for the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
The first practice session at Spa-Francorchamps is complete, with a familiar name out front as the FIA’s new technical directive came into effect.
With air temperatures in the low 20s and track temperatures in the high 30s, a relatively cool Spa-Francorchamps circuit awaited the drivers for the first practice hour ahead of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen sets the pace in first practice
After a few race weekends in which Red Bull has struggled for outright pace relative to its immediate competition, the first practice session on Friday was more reminiscent of the 2023 season as Max Verstappen set the pace with a large deficit back to the rest.
All eyes were on which teams had been selected to run the new FIA cameras aimed to monitor front-wing flex with the governing body introducing a new technical directive for the weekend in Belgium.
Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg, and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, were the cars selected to run the extra cameras.
Minus the cooling cannons that Red Bull introduced to the RB20 in Hungary, Verstappen put in a 1:43.372 on the soft tyre compound to go half a second clear of Oscar Piastri as the Australian enjoyed the start to on-track life as a Grand Prix winner.
Alex Albon was third for Williams, ahead of the two Mercedes drivers of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
There were issues for Alpine and its new Deadpool x Wolverine livery, as a suspected water leak curtailed Esteban Ocon’s track time to just a single lap.
Full Report: Belgian GP: Max Verstappen stamps his authority in FP1 as Red Bull dial back on updates
2024 Belgian Grand Prix first practice (FP1) results
- 1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:43.372
- 2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.531
- 3. Alex Albon Williams +0.727
- 4. George Russell Mercedes +0.853
- 5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.907
- 6. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.934
- 7. Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.957
- 8. Lando Norris McLaren +1.043
- 9. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +1.202
- 10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.327
- 11. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.461
- 12. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.549
- 13. Daniel Ricciardo VCARB +1.578
- 14. Valtteri Bottas Sauber +1.783
- 15. Logan Sargeant Williams +1.939
- 16. Yuki Tsunoda VCARB +2.192
- 17. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +2.273
- 18. Kevin Magnussen Haas +2.440
- 19. Zhou Guanyu Sauber +2.623
- 20. Esteban Ocon Alpine No time
Read Next: Max Verstappen Spa grid penalty confirmed as Red Bull take double hit
