The Australian driver — and Drivers’ Championship leader — topped the timing sheets with a lap of 1:42.022, more than four-tenths ahead of Max Verstappen, who finished second. Norris, Piastri’s closest rival in the Drivers’ Championship race, was more than half a second off Piastri’s pace, finishing 0.504 seconds behind his McLaren teammate.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri set the early pace in practice for the Belgian Grand Prix as Lando Norris finished half-a-second behind his title rival.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri topped the first and only practice for the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on Friday. The McLaren driver clocked 1 minute 42.