Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the first practice session at Spa-Francorchamps, despite taking his fifth internal combustion engine (ICE) of the season, exceeding his allocated number of power units.

Verstappen’s quickest lap on soft tyres was 1:44.372. Oscar Piastri, the recent Hungarian Grand Prix winner, finished 0.531 seconds behind in his McLaren, also on soft tyres. Alex Albon surprised with a third-place finish in his Williams, 0.727 seconds off Verstappen’s pace, also on soft tyres.

Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured fourth and fifth positions, respectively, with the team running further car upgrades for round 14. However, both drivers experienced issues: Russell reported a lack of rear grip, while Hamilton noted excessive bouncing.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari ended the session in sixth place, followed by Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, who was nearly a second behind teammate Verstappen in seventh.

Lando Norris had a quiet session, finishing ninth on the timesheets, 0.512 seconds behind his McLaren teammate Piastri. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll completed the top ten.

The Belgian Grand Prix is the final race before F1’s summer break. The session started in sunny conditions despite overnight rain, but Daniel Ricciardo experienced an early spin after taking too much kerb at the La Source hairpin on hard tyres. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda received a penalty for this weekend’s race and will start from the back of the grid after taking new power unit elements.

Esteban Ocon remained in the garage due to a suspected water leak. The Frenchman confirmed on Thursday he would join Haas on a multi-year deal starting in 2025.

Second practice will begin at 16:00 BST.