SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Series leader Oscar Piastri outpaced defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull to top the times for McLaren in Friday’s opening free practice at the Belgian Grand Prix.
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The 24-year-old Australian, reacting positively to his disappointment at Silverstone where he was handed a controversial penalty, clocked a best lap in one minute and 42.022 seconds to beat the four-time champion by four-tenths of a second in a keenly-contested session.
Verstappen was driving for the first time since Red Bull dismissed former boss Christian Horner two weeks earlier. Frenchman Laurent Mekies took his place on the pit wall.
Piastri’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris was third ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and rookie Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari seventh.
