The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix weekend began with a turbulent start during the first and only practice session at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton experienced a disappointing session plagued by performance struggles and mechanical issues, failing to deliver the pace expected from the team’s latest upgrades. Despite being a seven-time world champion, Hamilton could only secure the seventh-fastest time before encountering a power problem late in the session.
In contrast, McLaren had a much more promising outing, with Oscar Piastri setting the fastest time of the session. The young Australian topped the timesheets with a blistering lap of 1:42.022, comfortably ahead of the competition. His teammate, Lando Norris, wasn’t as fortunate — a mistake during his crucial lap left him trailing Piastri by more than half a second, though still managing third place. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen slotted between the two McLarens in second, unable to match Piastri’s pace.
Mercedes showed signs of competitiveness, with George Russell placing fourth and rookie Kimi Antonelli impressing by taking sixth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc edged into fifth, marginally outperforming Hamilton, which only added to concerns about Ferrari’s overall performance despite their recent developments. The team’s mixed results suggest more fine-tuning is needed if they hope to contend for victory.
Further down the order, Aston Martin had a solid session with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing eighth and ninth. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar also made a mark by finishing tenth, just over a second off the pace. Williams’ Carlos Sainz faced early setbacks due to a fuel system failure but managed to finish 11th, followed closely by teammate Alex Albon in 12th. Kick Sauber, Haas, and Alpine drivers filled out the midfield, with some struggling to adapt to the challenging Spa circuit.
The session featured multiple drivers locking up at La Source, highlighting how tricky the track was under limited practice conditions. With only one session before qualifying, teams had little time to optimize their setups, adding urgency to the task ahead. While McLaren appears poised for a strong weekend, Ferrari and Red Bull will need to make significant adjustments — especially Hamilton, who hopes to reverse his fortunes after a rocky start in Belgium.
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