Verstappen tops Hamilton as Mercedes struggle in first Spa practice

Belgian GP: Max Verstappen tops Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes struggle in Spa-Francorchamps first practice Max Verstappen was quickest in first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix from Lewis Hamilton while Mercedes surprisingly struggled; watch second practice later on Friday from 4pm with Qualifying on Saturday at 3pm, live on Sky Sports F1 Friday 17 July 2026 13:37, UK Max Verstappen was surprisingly fastest from Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes were off the pace in first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix. Red Bull are yet to win a race in 2026 but Verstappen came flying out of the blocks at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps and was 0.145s quicker than rival Hamilton, with Charles Leclerc two tenths off the pace in third. Verstappen has been tight-lipped about where he will be driving in 2027 after his management held talks with McLaren in the last month, but a strong Red Bull car over the upcoming races would almost certainly mean the Dutchman stays at the team. - Belgian GP: UK schedule and how to watch on Sky Sports - F1 2026 standings | F1 2026 calendar | F1 Gossip Column - Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱 - Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Isack Hadjar, who will start at the back for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix due to a power unit change, was fourth which underlined Red Bull's strong early pace. Mercedes will be scratching their heads as championship leader Kimi Antonelli was sixth and 0.533s behind Verstappen with George Russell down in eighth. Antonelli, who is 25 points ahead of Russell in the Drivers' Championship, is on the limit of his engine allowance after Mercedes discovered a potential problem with his Silverstone power unit and are investigating whether it can be used again. Another new engine for Antonelli would trigger a 10-grid place penalty, which is what Lando Norris has for this weekend as he has exceeded the control electronics limit - a power unit element. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was fifth but suffered a late hydraulics issue, so was forced to crawl back to the pit lane in the closing minutes. More to follow... Sky Sports F1's Belgian GP schedule Friday July 17 2pm: F3 Qualifying 2.55pm: F2 Qualifying 3.30pm: Belgian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm) 5.15pm: The F1 Show Saturday July 18 9am: F3 Sprint 11.15am: Belgian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am) 1.15pm: F2 Sprint 2.15pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up* 3pm: BELGIAN GP QUALIFYING* Sunday July 19 7.30am: F3 Feature Race 9am: F2 Feature Race 10.45am: Porsche Supercup 12.30pm: Belgian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday 2pm: THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 4pm: Belgian GP reaction: Chequered Flag *Also on Sky Sports Main Event Formula 1's summer run continues with the Belgian Grand Prix at legendary Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime