Mexican driver Sergio Pérez, racing for Red Bull, led the third and final free practice session ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. The session, the fourteenth race of the Formula 1 World Championship, showcased Pérez posting the fastest lap while Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso of Alpine clocked the third and fifth quickest times, respectively, on the overall timing sheet.
During a best-of-19-lap run, Pérez covered the legendary Ardennes circuit’s 7,004 meters in 1 minute 45.47 seconds. He edged World Cup leader Max Verstappen, also driving for Red Bull, by 0.137 seconds. Pérez’s performance contrasted with Sainz, who finished 0.777 seconds behind on his final attempt after previously posting competitive times on the softer compound tires, keeping the Spaniard firmly inside the top five on the timing screens.
At the moment, Sainz sits fifth in the World Championship standings, trailing Verstappen by 102 points. The Belgian GP atmosphere carried weight, as it was a venue steeped in history and famous memories, and the session kept the sport’s narrative alive: Pérez and Verstappen standing out as the main contenders. The latest results also suggested that Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who leads the championship but faced a later-than-desired lap count, and Lando Norris of McLaren, who will be working through power unit constraints, could influence the pole position in qualifying. Leclerc’s gap and Norris’s situation meant the grid could still shuffle dramatically by race day.
Alonso clocked 16 laps, finishing fifth with a time that placed him 1.14 seconds behind Pérez’s best effort. The Spaniard, a twice former world champion who is set to drive for Aston Martin next season, showed his typical pace and strategic approach around the Spa circuit. The mood in the paddock was one of cautious optimism for Alonso, who continues to demonstrate his longevity and skill at the highest level of the sport. The day’s session ended with surface temperatures hovering around the mid-20s Celsius and air temperatures near 17 degrees, a typical Spa climate that made tire management and handling conditions a priority for all teams. A brief interruption occurred late in the session when Leclerc exited the track at Turn 12, causing a temporary red flag while marshals cleared the incident. The overall tone, however, remained productive as teams gathered valuable data ahead of qualifying.
Looking ahead to qualifying and the race, teams will analyze how their tire strategies, fuel loads, and aerodynamic setups balance top speed with cornering stability at Spa. The Belgian Grand Prix, delivering a 308-kilometer race distance on Sunday, is scheduled to begin with the usual 14:00 local start time, and teams will be focused on extracting peak performance from their machines while adapting to evolving weather conditions and the nuances of the famous circuit. This practice session helped set the stage for a competitive weekend, with Pérez at the forefront and the rest of the field dialed into the challenging demands of Spa-Francorchamps. (Source: Formula 1; FIA)