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Antonelli Tops Belgian Practice; Verstappen Faces Ten-Place Penalty

7/17/2026

50 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Antonelli Tops Practice

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap of 1:45.944 in the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix second practice.
McLaren driver Lando Norris finished second, 0.190 seconds slower than Antonelli.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was third, 0.472 seconds off Antonelli.
Max Verstappen will serve a ten-place grid penalty.
Mercedes installed a higher-downforce rear wing after first-practice issues, boosting its pace.

Summary

Verstappen Contract Clause

Max Verstappen’s contract lets him leave Red Bull if he is outside the top two after Hungarian GP.
His management is negotiating a 2027 seat at McLaren, which may affect his decision.
Mercedes is reviewing Antonelli’s power unit because a change would cause a ten-place grid penalty.
Aston Martin used Jak Crawford to meet the FIA rookie rule, replacing Alonso.
Pirelli supplied C2, C3 and C4 tyres for Spa-Francorchamps.

History

Historical Context

At the 2005 United States Grand Prix on 19 June, Michelin-shod teams withdrew after the FIA refused a chicane, leaving only six Bridgestone cars to race and prompting the FIA to tighten tyre-homologation rules. Those reforms now shape modern grids, as seen at this weekend’s Spa-Francorchamps race where Pirelli supplies C2-C4 tyres and Mercedes adds a high-downforce rear wing while Verstappen serves a ten-place penalty.

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Antonelli Tops Practice

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap of 1:45.944 in the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix second practice.
McLaren driver Lando Norris finished second, 0.190 seconds slower than Antonelli.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was third, 0.472 seconds off Antonelli.
Max Verstappen will serve a ten-place grid penalty.
Mercedes installed a higher-downforce rear wing after first-practice issues, boosting its pace.

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