Lando Norris Leads Belgian GP Practice Amid Verstappen's Penalty

McLaren Dominates Belgian Grand Prix Practice

Lando Norris topped the timesheets in the second practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix, showcasing McLaren's impressive form at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Norris clocked a lap time that was 0.215 seconds faster than his teammate, Oscar Piastri, marking the McLaren duo as the frontrunners in this session.

Max Verstappen's Grid Penalty

Reigning champion Max Verstappen faced challenges during the practice session, finishing just 0.217 seconds behind Norris. This performance comes with an added complication as Verstappen will incur a 10-grid place penalty for exceeding engine usage limits this season. He’ll be starting no higher than 11th on race day, which opens up opportunities for other drivers to gain crucial points.

Championship Implications

With Verstappen starting from the lower end of the grid, McLaren has a significant chance to close the gap in the championship standings. Norris currently trails Verstappen by 76 points, and the entire McLaren team looks to leverage this advantage in the constructors' championship, where they are 51 points behind Red Bull.

Performance of Other Teams

Following the McLaren drivers, Charles Leclerc secured fourth place but was notably half a second off Norris's pace. Carlos Sainz finished fifth, 0.8 seconds behind the leading time. Meanwhile, Mercedes introduced several upgrades for this race, including modifications to the diffuser and floor edge. However, George Russell could only manage sixth place, a full second behind the McLarens, while Lewis Hamilton struggled in 10th position after aborting his initial flying laps due to tire issues.

Upcoming Belgian GP Schedule

The excitement continues with a packed schedule leading up to the Belgian GP race:

Saturday, July 27:
8:45 AM - F3 Sprint
11:15 AM - Belgian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11:30 AM)
1:10 PM - F2 Sprint
2:15 PM - Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
3:00 PM - Belgian GP Qualifying
5:00 PM - Ted's Qualifying Notebook

Sunday, July 28:
7:25 AM - F3 Feature Race
8:55 AM - F2 Feature Race
10:40 AM - Porsche Supercup
12:30 PM - Grand Prix Sunday - Belgian GP build-up
2:00 PM - The BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
4:00 PM - Chequered Flag: Belgian GP reaction
5:00 PM - Ted's Notebook

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