Andrea Kimi Antonelli smashes George Russell by 1.2s in Belgian GP practice thriller

Andrea Kimi Antonelli blitzes George Russell in Belgian GP practice

Andrea Kimi Antonelli crushed George Russell by 1.2 seconds in Friday’s Belgian Grand Prix practice session at Spa-Francorchamps. The Italian’s 1m44.321s lap left Russell trailing in second as Mercedes flexed their early race muscle.

What happened in the session?

On 26 July 2025, Antonelli topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:44.321, nearly one and a half seconds clear of Russell’s 1:45.521. The result underlined Mercedes’ race-day potential just 48 hours before qualifying.

Russell, a two-time Belgian GP winner, admitted the deficit stung. “That’s a big gap,” he told Sky Sports. “We need to dig into the data and see where we can claw back time.”

Why it matters for Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli’s pace puts him in the mix for a shock podium in only his fifth F1 start. Mercedes’ W15 showed strong straight-line speed on the Eau Rouge run, a trait Antonelli exploited to the fullest.

Team boss Toto Wolff called the session “encouraging.” “Kimi’s confidence is growing,” Wolff said. “He’s extracting every tenth from the car.”

What comes next?

Qualifying looms on Saturday, with the Belgian GP race set for Sunday. Antonelli will line up against Russell and the rest of the field as Mercedes push for their first home podium since 2022.

Russell, though, warned against reading too much into practice form. “Spa’s tricky,” he said. “One session doesn’t win a race.”