By W. G. S. D. Wijesinghe, Jadetimes news
McLaren Dominates Second Practice at Belgian Grand Prix
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri demonstrated McLaren's impressive pace by securing the top two spots in the second practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix. Norris led the session, clocking in 0.215 seconds faster than his teammate Piastri, both utilizing the soft C4 tyre. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen secured third place, though he faces a 10 place grid penalty for Sunday's race after taking his fifth internal combustion engine (ICE) of the season, surpassing his allocated power units.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished fourth and fifth, respectively, with Leclerc trailing Norris by over half a second and Sainz by 0.838 seconds. George Russell of Mercedes took sixth place, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton ended in tenth, both drivers voicing concerns about their car's balance despite recent upgrades. Esteban Ocon of Alpine, who faced a suspected water leak in the first practice, managed seventh fastest, followed by Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Sergio Perez of Red Bull in eighth and ninth. Dry conditions prevailed during the practice sessions, but rain is forecasted for Saturday's qualifying.
Verstappen and Tsunoda Face Grid Penalties Amid McLaren's Surge
Max Verstappen's quest for his first win since June’s Spanish Grand Prix is complicated by a 10 place grid penalty for exceeding his ICE allocation. Despite this, Verstappen's past performance at Spa Francorchamps, where he won from sixth on the grid last year, offers hope. In contrast, Yuki Tsunoda will start at the back of the field due to a 60 place grid penalty for multiple engine component changes on his car.
In team news, Alpine announced that Bruno Famin will step down as team principal by the end of August. Famin, who assumed the role at the start of the season after an interim period, succeeded Otmar Szafnauer. Alpine stated that a new team principal will be named soon.
