Lando Norris was fastest from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in second practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.
McLaren continued their form as the benchmark team in F1 at Spa-Francorchamps as Norris ended up 0.215s ahead of Piastri, with Max Verstappen just a couple of thousandths of a second further back in third.
Verstappen will take a 10-grid place penalty for Sunday’s race, having exceeded the permitted number of engines that are allowed to be used during the season.
With the championship leader set to start no higher than 11th, there is a big opportunity for Norris to eat into Verstappen’s 76-point advantage in the drivers’ standings and for McLaren to reduce Red Bull’s 51-point lead in the Constructors’ Championship.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth but half a second down on Norris, with team-mate Carlos Sainz in fifth and eight tenths away from the leading time.
Watch Lando Norris set the fastest lap in the second practice session of the Belgian Grand Prix
Mercedes have brought upgrades to Belgium, including a reprofiled diffuser and floor edge, but George Russell was a whole second off the McLarens in sixth, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton down in 10th.
Hamilton, who finished 1.2s back from Norris, failed to make the most of his soft tyres as he aborted his first two flying lap attempts, but appeared to also lack general pace.
Norris not comfortable despite setting pace
Despite comfortably setting the fastest time of the day, Norris said he was hoping to achieve a greater level of comfort in his McLaren for the remainder of the weekend.
“Red Bull are very quick at the minute,” Norris said. “So, tricky, but I’ve just not felt very comfortable today with the car.
“So hopefully I just wake up [on Saturday] and feel a bit more comfortable with it. But we’ll try and improve a few things and see again.
Norris shares his worries following the first two practice sessions ahead of the Belgium Grand Prix
“I know it looked good on the timesheets, but I’ve not felt super comfortable in just going out and doing it. So hopefully I can just get in a bit more of a rhythm and feel a bit better out there.”
Piastri, fresh off leading McLaren to a one-two in his maiden grand prix victory in Hungary last weekend, was more positive after what he described as “a very smooth day”.
Asked if McLaren were hoping to capitalise on Verstappen’s penalty, Piastri said: “Definitely. I mean, it’s better than if he was starting at the front.
“I don’t think you can count him out. It’s a track they’ve been very quick at the last couple of years. They look quick this weekend again. I’m expecting him to make progress through the field but having a little bit of a head start, hopefully, will definitely help a bit.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen says they are in damage-limitation mode after being handed a 10-place grid penalty for the Belgian Grand Prix
Verstappen had looked to be in a league of his own when he topped first practice from Piastri by more than half a second, but unsurprisingly said his focus was on ensuring the best possible race set-up to fight back through the field with.
“I think we started off quite positive today,” Verstappen said. “Second practice was maybe not as good, so we have a few things to look at with all the changes that we made as well.
“Hopefully we can put it all together, for the race especially, because I know that I have to start a bit back with my penalty for the engine, and try to optimise it.”
Wet weather to offer Mercedes hope?
There was no rain on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps when the F1 cars were on track, but wet weather is expected for qualifying on Saturday.
If the forecast is accurate, all of the one-lap data gathered on Friday would go out of the window. However, McLaren have also been strong in the wet this year and Verstappen is also consistently up there in mixed conditions.
But it may offer Mercedes, who appear to be out of the fight for victory this weekend in the dry, a glimmer of hope. Hamilton certainly seems to think so.
Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell discuss their car troubles following the first two practice sessions
Asked about the prospect of rain on Saturday, he said: “Fantastic because if it’s dry then, at the moment, we’re not going to be in the greatest of places. But overnight we can make some changes for sure.
“If it rains then that opens it up a little but and hopefully we can do a better job. I think the car should be better in the wet than it is in the dry.”
Following their team orders controversy in Hungary, McLaren appear to be heading into a second successive weekend with the pace to go into the upcoming four-week summer break with the perfect result.
Watch Zak Brown discuss McLaren’s controversial Hungarian GP and battle for the Constructors’ Championship
“It looks like McLaren unlocked more speed but it could all be different if it’s chucking it down with rain,” said Sky Sports F1‘s Karun Chandhok.
“It makes the downforce decision tricky, though. Last year, McLaren ran a bigger wing at Spa and it helped them in all the wet sessions, including the Sprint where Oscar finished second.
“But Lando got outdragged by everyone on the straights because they were too slow on the straights, so you have to be smart with your wing level choice.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Belgian GP schedule
Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Belgian Grand Prix
Saturday July 27
8:45am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Belgian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday July 28
7:25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up*
2pm: The BELGIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
The Formula 1 action continues this weekend with the final race before F1’s summer break, the Belgian Grand Prix. You can watch every session from Spa-Francorchamps live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime