The Belgian Grand Prix practice sessions have once again highlighted the ebb and flow of Formula 1, with some teams and drivers emerging victorious, while others struggle to keep up. The 71st Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps is set to be a thrilling spectacle, with harvesting woes and worries looming over the horizon for 2026. Friday's practice sessions were a prime opportunity for teams to test harvesting strategies and trial new parts, with many declared upgrades in Belgium. The standout winner of the day was Kimi Antonelli, who demonstrated a major course correction in the second session, putting him in the expected spot for qualifying simulations and showcasing strong long-run pace. His performance was a stark contrast to his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, who was well off the pace in both practice sessions, facing a long Sunday if this trend continues. In a surprising turn of events, Max Verstappen, who had been struggling with gearbox issues, topped a practice session for the first time in 2026 with his FP1 performance and finished third in FP2, putting him in contention with Mercedes. Aston Martin, on the other hand, is facing a challenging weekend at Spa, with both cars over five seconds adrift in both sessions, and team representative Mike Krack acknowledging that they are quite far off the pace. The biggest surprise of the day came from Franco Colapinto, who sprang a major upset in FP2, going seventh for Alpine, ahead of Mercedes' struggling George Russell. Colapinto attributed his improved performance to cooler conditions and the lower-speed corners at Spa-Francorchamps. However, Pierre Gasly's day took a turn for the worse as he crashed exiting the Fagnes chicane, damaging his rear wing and tyres, and raising questions about the state of his gearbox and drivetrain. Despite these setbacks, Haas emerged as a standout performer, with Ollie Bearman describing the car as 'strong' on Friday. The team tested a new front wing, which Bearman said represented a slight improvement, and they are now set to capitalize if any of the usual top-10 runners falter. As the Belgian Grand Prix unfolds, the ebb and flow of Formula 1 continue to captivate fans, with harvesting woes and worries looming over the horizon for 2026. The practice sessions have provided a glimpse into the strategies and upgrades being tested, and the results have highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of each team and driver. With the qualifying simulations and the race weekend ahead, the battle for victory is far from over, and the ebb and flow of Formula 1 will continue to unfold, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
