Alpine’s Pierre Gasly Crashes in Friday Practice at Spa

Pierre Gasly’s session ended early when he lost control exiting the Fagnes medium‑speed chicane. The Alpine driver clipped the barrier, tore off his right rear wheel and triggered a red flag. The incident halted the race‑simulation runs and will keep his team busy throughout the weekend.

Gasly described the moment as “a big snap” that took the car out of his control. Team principal Steve Nielsen noted that the mistake was small but punished harshly on the Spa layout. The Frenchman still called the overall day “a good day of testing” despite the setback.

Gasly’s Heavy Crash Shuts Down Practice

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time on Friday, edging McLaren’s Lando Norris by 0.190 seconds. He was a full 1.285 seconds quicker than teammate George Russell, marking a dramatic improvement after struggling in the first session.

Antonelli praised the car’s turnaround, saying the afternoon sessions felt much stronger. Engineering director Andrew Shovlin admitted the first stint was messy but noted the drivers were happier once grip returned.

George Russell complained that his rear tyres were too cold, sliding excessively on the chicanes. He added that the temperature difference was not enough to explain the 1.2‑second gap to Antonelli.

Energy Management Struggles Cost Lap Speed

Norris highlighted the energy‑hungry nature of the Spa circuit, describing “clipping” on every straight. He noted the drop from roughly 320 km/h to about 270 km/h through Blanchimont due to depleted battery reserves.

Max Verstappen, third in the qualifying simulation, matched Antonelli on the long run after traffic adjustments were applied. The Red Bull driver said the track’s energy demands made straight‑line speed a challenge.

Grid Penalties Shuffle Starting Grid

Norris will start the race with a grid penalty after exceeding his allowed number of batteries. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll face similar penalties this weekend.

Championship Battle Heats Up

Antonelli’s recent retirements and a wheel‑fairing failure at Silverstone have cut his championship lead over Russell from 68 to just 25 points. Russell scored an impressive win in Austria, his first victory since Australia.

Russell’s victory added momentum to his fight for the title, while Antonelli still carries the burden of lost podiums. The tight point gap means both drivers will be under pressure for the rest of the season.

Top 10 Battle and Team Upgrades

The practice order after Friday shows Antonelli leading, followed by Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton, and Hadjar. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, Russell, and Racing Bulls duo Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson filled the top ten ahead of Leclerc.

Red Bull has reverted to a standard rear wing after the experimental “flip‑flop” caused crashes in Austria and Silverstone. The change is estimated to cost about 0.2 seconds per lap, but team principal Pierre Wache said the car should now be “bulletproof.”

Racing Bulls gave an upgrade to Lindblad rather than Lawson, rewarding the driver who qualified higher at the British GP. Lawson will receive the next upgrade later in the season, which is also expected to be limited to one driver initially, according to team principal Alan Permane.