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. 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.