Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium: Max Verstappen led the way as Formula One ended its summer break in Friday practice for the Belgian Grand Prix but a heavy crash right at the end could prove costly with big title rival Lewis Hamilton was less than one-tenth back.
Red Bull’s Verstappen clocked 1 minute 44.472 seconds on the 7.003-kilometre course in Spa-Francorchamps where he is yet to win.
But Mercedes were in hot pursuit with morning session leader Valtteri Bottas just .041 of a second behind and four-time Spa winner Hamilton in third also only .072 off the pace.
Verstappen hit the barriers hard which prematurely ended the second session with three minutes left, shortly after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had suffered a similar fate.
“I have lost the rear,” the apologetic Verstappen said as the Red Bull mechanics face what appears a lot of repair work for final practice and qualifying Saturday, with the race on Sunday.
Hamilton leads the championship eight points ahead of a Verstappen after a dramatic, and controversial, turnaround in the two races in Britain and Hungary before the mid-season break saw him overcome a 32-point deficit on the Dutchman.
Conditions are forecast to be tricky and at times also wet as onFriday where morning practice started on a not fully dry course in the Ardennes.
Former world champion Fernando Alonso was fourth for Alpine, almost half a second back, ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly who had even finished third in the first session.
Bottas and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll will receive five-place grid penalties in connection with opening-lap incidents at the last race in Hungary. — dpa
