The legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, a true test of driver skill and machine performance, roared to life for the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix. The second free practice session, often a crucial indicator of a team’s potential for the weekend, delivered an exhilarating spectacle, culminating in a dominant one-two finish for McLaren. Lando Norris spearheaded this impressive display, setting the fastest lap, closely followed by his talented teammate Oscar Piastri. This remarkable performance immediately positioned the Woking-based squad as a significant contender for both Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s main race. The iconic Ardennes forest provided a dramatic backdrop to an hour of intense on-track action, as teams fine-tuned their setups and pushed the limits in preparation for what promises to be a thrilling race weekend.
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Lando Norris’s blistering pace during the second free practice session for the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix saw him clock the quickest time, leaving his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in second place. This impressive result sent a clear message to their rivals, especially with Max Verstappen of Red Bull trailing closely behind in third, demonstrating the fierce competition at the top. Norris’s decisive lap was a full two tenths quicker than Piastri’s on their respective push laps, both utilizing fresh soft compound tyres midway through the session. Verstappen’s time was almost identical to Piastri’s, highlighting the incredibly tight margins at the pinnacle of Formula 1.
The Friday session unfolded under cloudy but dry conditions, providing a consistent track for drivers to explore the limits of their machinery. Having already set the benchmark in the opening practice, Verstappen continued his strong form by setting the early pace on the medium tyres, with Norris once again hot on his heels. This initial phase allowed teams to gather crucial data on tyre behaviour and track evolution, essential for fine-tuning setups for the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
As the session progressed and teams shifted their focus to qualifying simulations, Carlos Sainz Jnr of Ferrari was the first to make a significant impact on the soft compound, briefly topping the timesheets. However, his advantage was swiftly erased by an exceptional lap from Piastri, who beat Sainz’s effort by a substantial six tenths of a second. Verstappen’s subsequent attempt on fresh soft tyres saw him come agonizingly close to Piastri’s time, with just two-thousandths of a second separating the two, giving the McLaren a slender advantage. The stage was then set for Norris to unleash his full potential.
Norris, clearly finding a superb rhythm with his MCL38, surpassed his teammate’s best time on his very first flying lap on new soft tyres. He demonstrated incredible speed through the technical second sector and the high-speed third sector, areas where car balance and driver confidence are paramount. This enabled him to establish a two-tenth lead over both Piastri and Verstappen, ultimately securing the top position on the timesheets. This performance underscored not just McLaren’s raw pace but also their efficient car setup and strong aerodynamic package, perfectly suited for the demands of Spa.
With the single-lap performance runs completed, teams then transitioned their attention to race preparation, focusing on high-fuel, longer runs. This critical phase allows engineers to gather essential data on tyre degradation, fuel consumption, and consistent pace over extended stints. Several teams expected to be at the sharp end of the grid on Sunday opted to conduct these long runs on the soft compound tyres, indicating either confidence in their tyre management strategies or a belief in the softs’ durability over race distance in the prevailing conditions. The meticulous analysis of this data will be crucial for devising optimal race strategies and making final car adjustments.
The session was largely uneventful in terms of major incidents, a testament to the drivers’ precision on the challenging circuit. The only minor moment occurred when Piastri ran slightly wide at Speaker’s Corner, kicking up some gravel, but he quickly recovered without any significant disruption to his or other drivers’ programs. This allowed all teams to complete their intended testing schedules without interruption. As the chequered flag flew, marking the end of the hour, McLaren’s impressive one-two echoed their strong qualifying performance from the previous weekend in Hungary, signaling their growing competitiveness and aspiration to challenge the established front-runners.
The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Sainz secured solid fourth and fifth positions respectively, showcasing consistent pace and demonstrating Ferrari’s potential for a strong weekend. George Russell placed his Mercedes in sixth, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton finished tenth, just ahead of the Aston Martins, suggesting Mercedes may have been focusing on different test programs or had more in reserve. Esteban Ocon, who had a curtailed FP1 due to a water leak problem, made an impressive recovery to secure seventh for Alpine, a promising result for the French team. He was followed by Kevin Magnussen in eighth, Sergio Perez in ninth, and the aforementioned Hamilton completing the top ten. The Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso were just outside the top ten, in eleventh and twelfth, indicating a tightly packed midfield and further battles to come.
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2024 Belgian Grand Prix Second Practice Result
| P. | # | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL38 | 1’42.260 | 19 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL38 | 1’42.475 | 0.215 | 23 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB20 | 1’42.477 | 0.217 | 26 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-24 | 1’42.837 | 0.577 | 23 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | SF-24 | 1’43.098 | 0.838 | 25 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W15 | 1’43.290 | 1.030 | 24 |
| 7 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | A524 | 1’43.401 | 1.141 | 23 |
| 8 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | VF-24 | 1’43.485 | 1.225 | 21 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB20 | 1’43.504 | 1.244 | 24 |
| 10 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | W15 | 1’43.519 | 1.259 | 25 |
| 11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR24 | 1’43.532 | 1.272 | 21 |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR24 | 1’43.538 | 1.278 | 24 |
| 13 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber-Ferrari | C44 | 1’43.675 | 1.415 | 24 |
| 14 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB-Honda RBPT | 01 | 1’43.823 | 1.563 | 21 |
| 15 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | A524 | 1’43.829 | 1.569 | 24 |
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | VF-24 | 1’43.846 | 1.586 | 21 |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW46 | 1’43.892 | 1.632 | 23 |
| 18 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | FW46 | 1’44.226 | 1.966 | 24 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber-Ferrari | C44 | 1’44.302 | 2.042 | 23 |
| 20 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB-Honda RBPT | 01 | 1’44.348 | 2.088 | 24 |
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2024 Belgian Grand Prix Insights
- Lost Spa win last year was ‘the best race I’ve ever done in Formula 1’ – Russell
- Belgian GP was “still a win” for Russell despite disqualification
- High plank wear also a factor in Russell’s disqualification, say Mercedes
- Russell is sixth F1 driver to be disqualified after winning a grand prix
- Unheard radio shows why Hamilton missed Russell’s (almost) race-winning strategy
Browse all 2024 Belgian Grand Prix articles