Gasly crashes in heavy hit as Antonelli tops Belgian practice

Pierre Gasly suffered a heavy crash in second practice at the Belgian Grand Prix after losing control at the Fagnes chicane and clipping the barrier, while Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in Friday running, team sources confirmed during the session.

Gasly’s right-rear wheel tore off in the impact, triggering a red flag that curtailed race-simulation runs late in the session and leaving his team with repair work to complete overnight. The French driver described the incident as a sudden snap that left him unable to recover before leaving the track.

Antonelli produced the session’s quickest single-lap effort, 0.190 seconds faster than McLaren’s Lando Norris and 1.285 seconds clear of George Russell. The 19-year-old improved markedly from the morning, when he was only sixth fastest, and reported a strong long-run pace.

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said the team struggled for grip in the first session and that the drivers were happier with the car in the afternoon. Russell radioed during the session that his rear tyres felt cold and were sliding on his lap.

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Gasly’s crash ended second practice early and will require significant overnight repairs for his team; Antonelli’s pace in the afternoon session marked a clear improvement from his morning running, and Mercedes identified tyre temperature and balance as factors affecting lap consistency. Long-run comparisons showed Antonelli marginally quicker than Norris and Russell on average.

Max Verstappen matched Antonelli on long-run pace when traffic and stint length were equalised, and Red Bull confirmed they had reverted to their standard rear wing after mechanical concerns with a flip-flop design following earlier incidents; the team aims to reintroduce a revised version at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Drivers from several teams reported energy deployment limits on Spa’s long straights, causing notable speed drops on the run through Blanchimont and elsewhere, with Norris and Hamilton specifically citing battery depletion and deployment window constraints affecting straight-line pace.

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• Pierre Gasly crashed at the Fagnes chicane, losing his right-rear wheel and causing a red flag in P2.
• Kimi Antonelli topped Friday practice, improving significantly from P1 to lead P2.
• Teams reported energy management issues on Spa’s straights and tyre temperature challenges affecting single-lap performance.