The Belgian Grand Prix weekend took an dramatic turn as rain and crashes dominated the final practice session on Saturday. Max Verstappen, despite facing a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race due to exceeding the engine limit, managed to top the timesheets with a lap of 2:01.565. The session was severely disrupted by heavy rain and a red flag caused by Lance Stroll’s crash at the notorious Eau Rouge corner.McLaren continued to show strong pace, with Oscar Piastri finishing second, 1.433 seconds behind Verstappen, and Lando Norris in fourth. This performance suggests that McLaren could be a serious contender for pole position in the upcoming qualifying session, especially given Verstappen’s grid penalty.The treacherous conditions led to limited running, with many drivers opting to stay in the pits. The rain is expected to continue throughout the day, potentially leading to a wet qualifying session that could shake up the grid order.In other developments, Mercedes has decided to revert to its old rear wing configuration after struggling with new updates during Friday’s practice sessions. This decision was partly influenced by the wet weather forecast, with the team opting to eliminate an extra variable in these challenging conditions.As the teams prepare for qualifying, the combination of wet weather and Verstappen’s grid penalty sets the stage for what could be an unpredictable and exciting Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Key points
- Max Verstappen topped the final practice session despite facing a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race.
- Heavy rain and Lance Stroll’s crash at Eau Rouge severely disrupted the session, limiting running for most drivers.
- McLaren showed strong pace with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finishing second and fourth, respectively.
- Mercedes reverted to its old rear wing configuration after struggling with new updates in Friday’s practice.
- Wet conditions are expected to continue into qualifying, potentially leading to an unpredictable grid order.
