Hamilton fourth, Leclerc 11th in Belgian GP second practice as track limits bite
Lewis Hamilton placed fourth and Charles Leclerc 11th in the second free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix, with Leclerc's best lap deleted for exceeding track limits at Eau Rouge.
- 4th
- 11th
- 1'46"691
- 17
What Happened
In the second free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc set the fourth and 11th fastest times respectively. Leclerc's actual best time was deleted for exceeding track limits at Eau Rouge, dropping him down the order. Both drivers completed the session on Medium and then Soft tyres, with Hamilton posting a 1'46"691 and Leclerc a 1'47"035 before the deletion.
Both drivers began on Medium tyres, completing five laps before a red flag for gravel on track.
Switched to Soft tyres; Hamilton set 1'46"691, Leclerc 1'47"035 (later deleted), then 1'47"468 on a second attempt.
Both cars returned for long-run simulations, but a red flag for Pierre Gasly's incident halted running.
Pit lane reopened with two minutes left; drivers completed an out-lap and a practice start.
1'46"691time
Set on Soft tyres after the resumption, good for fourth fastest.
17laps
Hamilton completed 15 laps; Leclerc ran 17, but his fastest time was deleted.
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Ferrari comes to Spa-Francorchamps with momentum from recent wins in Barcelona and Silverstone. Before the weekend, Lewis Hamilton praised the team's continuous small upgrades, and Charles Leclerc expressed confidence after his Silverstone victory, having adapted his driving style for the SF-26. The team aims to continue its successful run at the Belgian Grand Prix.
- Lewis Hamilton Praises Ferrari's Continuous Improvements Ahead of Belgian Grand Prix
- Leclerc Confident After Silverstone Win, Adapts Driving Style for Belgian GP
- Ferrari Heads to Belgian Grand Prix with Confidence After Recent Wins
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The mixed results at Spa-Francorchamps highlight Ferrari's ongoing battle for pace and consistency as the team aims to build on recent wins. Leclerc's deleted lap underscores the importance of track limits discipline, while Hamilton's fourth-place time signals competitiveness for qualifying and the race.
Terms in This Story
- Track limits
- The designated boundaries of the racing circuit; exceeding them can result in lap time deletion or penalties.
- Eau Rouge
- A famous high-speed section of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, known for its challenging elevation change.
- Red flag
- A signal that stops the session due to a dangerous condition, such as debris or an incident.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.