Verstappen reacts to huge advantage over Leclerc in FP2

Pace-setter Max Verstappen says his preparation for the Belgian Grand Prix did not change in Friday practice, despite carrying a grid penalty into the race. World Champion Verstappen ended the second session 0.862s quicker than Charles Leclerc – the only other driver within one second of his benchmark time. Despite his blistering pace, Verstappen will serve a grid penalty following qualifying on Saturday for taking more engine components than allowed. Knowing strong race pace will be more important than pure, outright qualifying speed, Verstappen admitted after the session that Red Bull had not done anything different on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps.

Little things to fine-tune, says Verstappen

"Not so much really changed, we just looked at how we could set up the car in the best possible way, and I think as soon as we went out the car was working pretty well," Verstappen explained to media post-FP2. "There are always little things you want to fine tune like balance, but basically [from] the first run, I was happy with the car." Verstappen, who won the abandoned 'race' 12 months ago, was also optimistic about the weather forecast after rain impacted both FP1 and FP2 at Spa. "I mean, when it started to rain a bit, you don't push it anymore, so I don't think we have really a good idea about it," he observed. "But I think also today was going to be the worst day for [rain], so we should have dry conditions [for the race on Sunday]."