Event: Belgian Grand Prix
Track: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit

Weather: wet  18°C
Tarmac: wet  22°C
Humidity : 94%
Wind : 2.0 km/h SE
Pressure: 962 mbar

Soggy Start to the 2023 Belgian F1 Grand Prix: FP1 Summary

The highly anticipated First Free Practice (FP1) session for the 2023 Belgian F1 Grand Prix got underway at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, but the weather gods had a different plan. Heavy rain and treacherous track conditions limited the teams' running, making the session a challenging one for all.

Mercedes and Alpine Encounter Setbacks

For Mercedes, the FP1 session served as an opportunity to test different rear wings on their two cars. Meanwhile, Alpine was in need of data on their new floor. Unfortunately, both teams faced limited running due to the inclement weather, leaving them with fewer laps than they had hoped for.

Sainz Tops the Charts in Torrential Rain

Despite the adverse conditions, it was Carlos Sainz of Ferrari who excelled in the wet and topped the timesheets. Sainz set an impressive lap time of 2 minutes and 03.207 seconds, securing a commanding lead of six tenths ahead of Oscar Piastri in second place. Lando Norris of McLaren trailed in third, 1.277 seconds off Sainz's pace.

Rain Reigns Supreme: Limited Running and Red Flags

With the rain pouring down, most teams opted to sit out the session, saving their valuable set-up optimizations for the following sessions. Only seven cars ventured onto the track, with the others choosing to stay in the garage. Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the dominant force in F1, was one of those who abstained from on-track action during FP1.

The Forecast: Rain for Qualifying, Hope for Sunday

As for the weather forecast for the weekend, it predicted rain continuing into the qualifying session and even the Sprint Shootout on Saturday. However, there was a glimmer of hope, as conditions were expected to ease and potentially dry up later on Sunday for the Grand Prix.

FP1's Results Won't Set the Grid

In an unprecedented decision, the FIA informed the teams that the results from FP1 would not be used to set the grid for either the Sprint or the Grand Prix. This decision aimed to prevent teams from treating the practice session as a competitive one, given the unpredictable weather conditions.

Verstappen's Potential Gearbox Penalty

Rumors circulated in the paddock that Max Verstappen might incur a grid penalty for the Grand Prix due to a potential gearbox change. However, there was no official confirmation at the time of the report.

Challenge Ahead: Reading the Conditions

As teams and drivers faced the challenge of interpreting the ever-changing weather, the ability to read and adapt to the conditions would be crucial in determining their success throughout the weekend.

The quickest sector times during this wet FP1 were:

  1. 34.045 sec. by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari SF23
  2. 55.523 sec. by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL60
  3. 32.309 sec. by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari SF23

The quickest lap time of last year's FP1 was a 1:46,538 min, set by Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari F1-75.

FP1 Times Table 2023 Belgian GP

PNoDriverTeamTime1st GapLapsTyres
155Carlos SainzFerrari2:03,2079I
281Oscar PiastriMcLaren2:03,792+0,585s4I
34Lando NorrisMcLaren2:04,484+1,277s4I
416Charles LeclercFerrari2:08,148+4,941s8W
511Sergio PérezRed Bull2:08,240+5,033s5W
623Alex AlbonWilliams2:08,394+5,187s5I
722Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri2:09,067+5,860s8W
820Kevin MagnussenHaas2:09,229+6,022s7W
93Daniel RicciardoAlphaTauri2:09,319+6,112s7W
1027Nico HülkenbergHaas2:10,042+6,835s8W
1114Fernando AlonsoAston Martin2:10,283+7,076s4W
1244Lewis HamiltonMercedes2:10,299+7,092s7W
1363George RussellMercedes2:10,475+7,268s7W
1477Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo2:12,085+8,878s9I
1524Zhou GuanyuAlfa Romeo2:14,002+10,795s8W
162Logan SargeantWilliamsno time-4-
1718Lance StrollAston Martinno time-5-
1810Pierre GaslyAlpineno time-2-
1931Esteban OconAlpineno time-2-
201Max VerstappenRed Bullno time-2-


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One F1 fan comment on “First Free Practice Report & Results 2023 Belgian F1 Grand Prix

  1. Jere Jyrälä

    What a washout, so perhaps Belgian GP should revert to the standard format for next season, given high rain chance combined with a single practice session is an unideal combination.

    Reply

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