F1 Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Practice build-up, Hamilton favourite for chequered flag – latest updates
F1 is back from a fortnight break as the season moves on to the challenging Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Valterri Bottas and Max Verstappen were the fastest at practice, with Lewis Hamilton looking to win this Grand Prix for the first time since 2017.
Follow all the latest build-up ahead of the big race on Sunday below…
LEW BEAUTY
As well as his own future, Toto Wolff has also dodged questions about signing Lewis Hamilton up to a new deal.
The Mercedes team boss made a reference to when they completed the Brit's last deal over a pizza.
He added: “Lots of pizzas to be eaten and lots of things to be discussed.
“It is a funny situation because we get along so well, we are hesitant to have the difficult discussions.”
LONE WOLFF
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has swerved questions about his future.
The Austrian is out of contract at the end of the year and said two weeks ago he was reevaluating his future.
And when quizzed on TV if he has reached a decision, he quipped: “Maybe I will work for Sky and do some of the analysis.
“I come fresh out of the job and have a lot of information if you offer me a good deal.”
WILLIAMS ADDED
When quizzed about her position, she added: “This is very early days and it is business as usual. I am running the team in my capacity and that will continue to be the case.
“I would be lying if I didn't say it had been an emotional few months but we have managed to get our heads around it and that is a good thing.
“At Williams, we have always put the team first. It has been at the heart of the Williams' family.
“We put our people first and our success and the future of our team first when making decisions in what we do.
“So it was almost a no-brainer for us. The team needed the investment and it now has a really bright future under its new owners and you will see the Williams name racing in Formula One.
“I am really pleased that the Concorde Agreement and most importantly, the financial regulations that are coming through with the cost cap and the redistribution of the prize money.
“It will make a big difference for teams like ours and whether the Williams family own it or not, it doesn't matter.”
WILLIAMS CONTINUED
“But they have done a lot of due diligence and gone through everything to understand our team and the sport.
“They have some very strong advisors who have been helping them through this to build their knowledge.
“They are already working in the team in order to understand what is required going forward.
“I have absolute confidence they are the right people to take this team forward.”
When pushed as to who BCE were, the new owners, Williams simply said “I have no comment to make”.
WILL I NEVER
Bernie Ecclestone is NOT the mysterious buyer of the Williams Formula One team – as questions are raised about the future of the family dynasty.
Williams said last week that the team had been sold to American private investment firm, Dorilton Capital.
The New York-based company paid £136million for complete control but on further investigation, the sale has been transferred to a company called BCE Limited, a fund managed by Dorilton Capital.
Little is known about BCE and the team's deputy team boss, Claire Williams refused to divulge any details – but she did rule out a sale to former F1 supremo, Ecclestone, who shares the same initials as the secretive owners.
She said: “I spoke to Mr. Ecclestone earlier in the week, and I did ask if it was him behind it. That's a joke, by the way, it's not. Bernie has nothing to do with our new ownership.
“Dorilton Capital is completely independent and Bernie is not the new owner of Williams. I cannot get into a whole lot of detail of the people behind Dorilton, that will become clearer over the coming weeks and months.”
FP2 IS DONE
Verstappen sets the pace to go quickest while Daniel Ricciardo is second before suffering a loss of hydraulic pressure.
Hamilton in third but don't be fooled. He is on the hardest, slower tyre. He is still looking good here.
SESSION HAS RESTARTED
Final few laps now and it is Verstappen, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Albon, Perez, Bottas.
Bottom few: Magnussen, Grosjean, Latifi, Vettel, Russell, Leclerc, Raikkonen.
RED FLAG
Session has been stopped because there is debris at Turn One.
It was caused by an accident into the barriers in one of the support races, as the advertising hoardings came loose.
Session will restart for the final 10 minutes.
RICCIARDO STOPS ON TRACK
He's had a solid day until now. He's second on the time sheets.
But he's being pushed off track.
FERRARI WOES
Worth remembering that Ferrari were on pole by 0.748s at Spa-Francorchamps 12 months ago.
Now they are in 15th and 17th place and, based on that, will struggle to get out of Q1.
GROSJEAN IS NOW OUT ON TRACK TOO
Like Magnussen, he is making up for lost time.
MAGNUSSEN IS OUT
Haas have changed the engine on the Dane's car. He missed FP1 and he now has the remaining 30 minutes of FP2 to get up to speed.
Grosjean remains in the pits.
AND NOW VERSTAPPEN…
Lap times are tumbling. Verstappen now leads Ricciardo then Hamilton.
The track is rubbering in. No rain. Times will drop.
NOW WE SEE THE MERCEDES PACE
Hamilton has blasted it across the line on the soft tyres. He goes top.
Alex Albon is currently second-quickest in his Red Bull. That is a morale-boosting lap for him.
VERSTAPPEN SETS THE BENCHMARK
The Red Bull man goes quickest with a time of 1:44.354 to set a marker.
But the two Mercedes men are out on track.
Still, little improvement for Ferrari. Leclerc in 12th and Vettel in 16th.
BUSY TRACK NOW
Looking at onboard footage of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, is seems as though that car is bolted to the track.
The only concern this weekend will be the tyres – will they last?
Plus, the weather. Yet he only seems to excel in the wet.
ALFA ROMEOS OUT ON TRACK
Antonio Giovinazzi missed the first session due to a water leak.
FP2 IS GO
But no drivers are in their cockpits.
It is a damp track after a little shower, so the teams are just waiting for the track to dry out a little.
‘TTERI-N IT UP
Valtteri Bottas set the pace ahead of Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton in Friday's opening practice session for the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.
The Finn, who turned 31 on Friday, lapped the seven km Spa-Francorchamps track in one minute 44.493 seconds, beating Hamilton by just 0.069 seconds on a cool and cloudy morning.
Max Verstappen was best of the rest again in third for Red Bull.
The Dutchman, who has a Belgian mother and is missing the support of his army of orange-clad supporters who usually throng the grandstands at Spa, was hot on the Mercedes pair's heels, ending the session just 0.081 seconds off the pace.
Hamilton, winner of four of this season's six races and currently in the form of his life, leads the overall standings by 37 points from Verstappen.
Bottas, who won the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix in July, is third 43 points behind his team mate.
With 11 of this season's 17 races still to run, he needs to start turning the tide if he is to have any hope of denying Hamilton a record-equalling seventh title at the end of the year.
Sergio Perez was fourth in his Mercedes-inspired Racing Point ahead of Canadian team mate Lance Stroll.
Alexander Albon, who drove his first race for Red Bull at Spa last year after moving up from junior team Toro Rosso now rebranded Alpha Tauri, was sixth.
Esteban Ocon, who made his Formula One debut in Belgium in 2016, was seventh for Renault ahead of McLaren's Carlos Sainz.
Daniel Ricciardo was ninth in the other Renault with Briton Lando Norris rounding out the top-10 for McLaren.
HAM LOOKING GOOD
Lewis Hamilton was able to get through the gears in his Mercedes this afternoon.
SESSION DONE
Bottas draws first blood in his battle with Hamilton.
Verstappen again is the best-of-the-rest.
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