Mercedes Set The Pace At A Strangely Slow Spa Friday
Formula 1

Mercedes Set The Pace At A Strangely Slow Spa Friday

18 July 2026 2 min readBy F1 News Desk (AI-assisted)

Kimi Antonelli topped Friday practice at Spa for Mercedes, but the 2026 cars circulated roughly five seconds off last year's pace. Lando Norris reckons his rivals were hiding their hand.

Key Takeaways

  • 1.Pirelli's chief engineer Simone Berra explained that overnight rain "significantly reduced track grip, increasing lap times," and noted degradation "slightly higher than initial expectations" on the softer tyres, while expecting grip to build as the track rubbered in.
  • 2."I think we probably turned up with the Mercedes and the rest of them didn't, so I think we're still probably the fourth fastest," he said.
  • 3.Friday at Spa-Francorchamps offered the first real read on the 2026 cars here, and it delivered a double message: Mercedes look strong, and the whole field is dramatically slower than it once was.

Friday at Spa-Francorchamps offered the first real read on the 2026 cars here, and it delivered a double message: Mercedes look strong, and the whole field is dramatically slower than it once was. Kimi Antonelli headed FP2 with a 1:45.944, holding off Lando Norris by 0.190s, ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen had set the FP1 benchmark of 1:47.070 in damp conditions earlier.

Stack those times against recent history and the scale of the new era shows. RaceFans clocked the pack running roughly five seconds slower than last year's Spa - a huge margin at a track built on power and slippery aero. The bulkier, less powerful 2026 cars can't hold the same momentum through the circuit's quick corners.

Norris, despite sitting second, refused to read anything into it. "I think we probably turned up with the Mercedes and the rest of them didn't, so I think we're still probably the fourth fastest," he said. Experience has taught him caution: "We seemed reasonable but there's been quite a few times this season where we seem good enough in FP2 and we're off come Qualifying." And he expects the order to shuffle: "Red Bull don't normally turn up on Friday, so we're going to get two tomorrow, they'll be just as quick or if not quicker, so let's wait and see."

Red Bull's session had its own drama. Verstappen vented over the radio about his gearbox, branding the shifts "unacceptable" even as he ran third quickest.

The weather clouded the analysis. Pirelli's chief engineer Simone Berra explained that overnight rain "significantly reduced track grip, increasing lap times," and noted degradation "slightly higher than initial expectations" on the softer tyres, while expecting grip to build as the track rubbered in.

The timing suits Mercedes. Antonelli leads the standings after a bumpy patch, and teammate George Russell - the man chasing him for the crown - endured a messy afternoon, finishing well over a second adrift and down the order. Pierre Gasly ended the running early with a crash at Fagnes that triggered a red flag, and Oscar Piastri lost time to a hydraulic issue on his McLaren.

Saturday will reveal who was really quick. If Antonelli's speed holds up, Mercedes will restart their title campaign from the sharp end of a circuit where overtaking never goes out of fashion, even with these slower cars.