Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz headed the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in a wet practice session at Spa-Francorchamps, as F1’s Sprint format returned.
A number of drivers had off-track moments in the sole free practice session across the weekend – with qualifying for the Grand Prix due to follow later on Friday afternoon.
FP1: Sainz leads Piastri and Norris in rain-hampered practice session at Spa-Francorchamps
Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon all found themselves overrunning the first part of the chicane at Turn 18, as Zhou Guanyu skipped across the gravel at Turn 8 – while Logan Sargeant brought out the red flags after crashing at Les Combes, the American emerging unharmed from the off.
Relive the highlights from Free Practice 1 in the video up top.
Next Up
Related Articles
BettingJapanese Grand Prix betting guide and latest odds
Bortoleto reacts to Wheatley's Audi departure
Vowles explains how Williams ‘need’ to use April break
Unlocked10 tricky quiz questions about the Japanese Grand Prix
What time is the 2026 Japanese GP and how can I watch it?
LiveLIVE COVERAGE: All the build-up ahead of the Japanese GP