Race pace analysis of FP2 Belgium, few references, but Piastri stands out!

by Matteo Piva

Race pace analysis FP2 Belgium: inconsistent times for everyone, but McLaren seemed to be in the best shape. Max Verstappen is called to a comeback race.

During this afternoon’s FP2, all teams opted for a long race simulation, which is very important at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, offering great overtaking opportunities, primarily at the end of the long Kemmel straight.

Furthermore, at the beginning of 2024, the Belgian track was completely resurfaced, and the words of Mario Isola on Sky during FP2 are very telling: “There is a big difference in grip between the new asphalt and the old one, with the new having more grip. We already had previous experience thanks to the 24 Hours of Spa, where the GT cars improved their lap times by three seconds compared to 2023. Now we are seeing that today they are also improving the times compared to the simulations, which gave a pole time of 1:42.8. The gravel is aggressive; if you go off track, the cuts are so deep that they can damage the tyre construction.”

Despite the race simulation taking up the last 25 minutes of the session, the times were too inconsistent to truly understand the actual pace on track for Sunday’s race. However, it can certainly be noted that there is degradation, and therefore, just like in 2023, there is the possibility of a two-stop race.

Oscar Piastri was the fastest in this afternoon’s race simulation: will he manage to win his second Formula 1 race?

Race Pace Analysis FP2 Belgium: here are this afternoon’s times!

In the qualifying simulation, just like in Hungary, the fastest was Lando Norris, though he used a second set of soft tires. Behind him is his teammate Oscar Piastri, completing a McLaren 1-2 just like in Hungary. Very close behind is Max Verstappen, driving a highly charged Red Bull that excels in the second sector, characterized by fast corners, but struggles in the other two sectors.

However, the reigning world champion will be forced to chase in Sunday’s race: he has received a 10-place grid penalty for a power unit change, as was the case in both 2022 and 2023 at Spa.

While in the previous two years the Red Bull was by far the fastest car in terms of race pace, in 2024 the story has changed: The driver in the best form appeared to be Oscar Piastri, author of a fairly consistent first part of the race simulation on medium tiresand an impressive second part on soft tires, maintaining a pace of 1:47 for a total of 4 consecutive laps. On the other hand, unusual work for his teammate Lando Norris, who completed some out laps on soft tires before doing a short stint of just 4 laps, with very fluctuating times.

Race pace analysis FP2 Belgium: long run times (part 1)
Race pace analysis FP2 Belgium: long run times (part 1)

At the same time as Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen also carried out the race simulation, and he also opted for a first stint with medium tires and a second stint with soft tires. However, unlike the new winner, the three-time world champion seemed to be faster in the early laps but significantly slowed down in the last laps before the pit stop.

As for Ferrari, Carlos Sainz’s race simulation was excellent, likely the most significant of this unusual Friday, which was marked by many uncertainties. The Spanish driver started with a time of 1:48.962, then maintained around 1:49 for the entire stint. In contrast, Charles Leclerc’s race simulation appeared less impressive, although he was likely running with a fuller fuel tank compared to his teammate.

Just below Carlos Sainz was Mercedes, with both drivers experiencing significant tire degradation. Their times increased in the final laps, after initially matching the Spanish Ferrari driver’s pace.

Race Pace Analysis FP2 Belgium: Long Run Times (Part 2)
Race Pace Analysis FP2 Belgium: Long Run Times (Part 2)

Photo: Mclaren F1 Team, GPKingdom.

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