Friday Report - McLaren dominates second practice

Lando Norris, Belgian GP 2024
© McLaren

In a thrilling display of speed and precision, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri led McLaren to a one-two finish in the second free practice (FP2) session for the Belgian Grand Prix, underlining the MCL38’s supremacy across diverse circuit characteristics. This performance at Spa-Francorchamps follows their strong showing at the Hungaroring, proving the car’s competitiveness on both twisty and high-speed tracks.

Norris topped the timesheets, with Piastri close behind, solidifying McLaren’s position as the team to beat this weekend. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, was the only driver to come close, finishing just 0.002 seconds behind Piastri in third place. Verstappen, however, faces a ten-place grid penalty, which will see him starting no higher than 11th on Sunday, adding to McLaren’s prospects for a second consecutive one-two finish.

Verstappen’s session was notable for his strategic choice to use a lower downforce wing, enhancing his speed on Spa’s long straights but compromising his advantage in the technical second sector. Despite this setup change, Verstappen was unable to maintain the pace set by the McLaren drivers, especially during long runs on Medium tires, where Piastri excelled.

Red Bull’s concerns extend beyond Verstappen’s penalty. Sergio Pérez struggled significantly, finishing ninth, more than a second slower than his teammate. Pérez’s performance raised alarms, as he was even outpaced by Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen during qualifying simulations. Red Bull’s grip on the Constructors’ Championship seems increasingly tenuous if Pérez cannot improve rapidly.

Ferrari showed encouraging signs by positioning ahead of Mercedes. Charles Leclerc secured fourth place, with Carlos Sainz following in fifth. However, the gap to the McLarens remained substantial, with Leclerc’s best time over half a second slower than Norris’s. Leclerc used two sets of Soft tires to outpace Sainz by a quarter of a second, while Sainz ran a more balanced program, demonstrating better competitiveness on high fuel runs.

Mercedes faced setbacks in FP2, with both cars showing less pace compared to the morning session. George Russell managed sixth place, while Lewis Hamilton struggled and finished tenth. Hamilton failed to put together a clean lap on Soft tires, and the team’s changes between sessions did not yield the desired results. Mercedes ran with a conservative engine mode, indicating that more performance might be unlocked in the upcoming sessions.

Esteban Ocon brought some optimism to Alpine after missing FP1. The Frenchman set the seventh quickest time, just over a tenth of a second behind Russell. Pierre Gasly, dealing with Power Unit issues, finished 15th. Despite this, both Alpine drivers were pleased with the new aerodynamic upgrades, hoping these improvements will pull the team out of its recent slump.

Yuki Tsunoda was the slowest in the session, focusing solely on race preparations due to an impending grid penalty that will see him start from last place. This rendered qualifying simulations unnecessary, even with Soft tires.

As McLaren’s resurgence continues, the Belgian Grand Prix is set to be an exciting showdown. With Verstappen’s penalty and Pérez’s struggles, McLaren’s Norris and Piastri are in prime positions to capitalize and aim for another dominant race finish.