F1 Belgian GP Live Commentary and Updates – FP1 & FP2

What a weekend we have in store if those lap times are anything to go by. That's the end of our live coverage, however.

Thank you for joining us across the day. We will be back for FP3 and qualifying tomorrow!

Find the full report from FP2 here, but until final practice, it's goodbye.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Such is the length of the lap, the cars are only now getting back around to the pits.

Ricciardo managed to sneak out before the chequered flag and, fair play to RB as he reports that the "car feels OK now."

But it has to be said that the long run times look very, very competitive from both McLaren and Red Bull.

Verstappen and Piastri are setting almost identical times as it stands on their long runs.

The McLaren was a tenth faster on the last tour.

In fact, RB confirms as Ricciardo is wheeled into the garage that "we can see the problem." That's at least positive for the team in terms of swiftly remedying the issue before taking the night off.

"This guy is annoying."

That's Albon talking about a Ferrari in front of him that seems to be disrupting his data gathering.

What is interesting about this work is that, with tomorrow's forecast looking rather on the damp side, the track could be completely reset before the race on Sunday.

That would mean a rethink on deg levels, preferable compounds and other variables.

Hamilton is on a set of softs and losing about three-tenths of lap time between laps as degradation begins to hit.

His fourth lap was a 1m49.6s, compared to a 1m49.3s the lap before.

Whilst the race runs settle in, here's some news just landing:

Another moment for Piastri, who dips the other side of his McLaren into the gravel, this time at Speakers corner.

That's not the data the team wants to collect.

One of those out on track is Leclerc but, five seconds down on his best time in two sectors, he is onto race runs - as everyone likely will be for the remainder of the session.

Twenty minutes remain in the session and it is worth noting how much darker the skies have become.

Half the cars are on track for now.

Piastri is out on a set of mediums and clearly on race runs, but Alonso is still plugging on with a quali sim.

Just 12th for the Spaniard, leaving Aston Martin outside the top 10 with Stroll a place ahead.

Hamilton could manage only 10th with his effort, while Ocon jumped up to seventh.

That looks strong with Gasly only 15th.

And that's the halfway point in the session. How will teams attack the second half of the hour?

Just the two Alpines and Hamilton yet to set an effort on soft tyres, but other than those, it's advantage McLaren heading into qualifying - just.

It ends up three-tenths to the fastest time as Leclerc goes third. 

Magnussen has set a pretty special lap to go sixth, ahead of Perez - who is a 1.029s off the best time.

Leclerc is in 12th as it stands but has just set a PB in S1. Full commitment through Pouhon earns another green sector, but he is almost two-tenths down entering Stavelot.

Ricciardo settles into eighth for RB, half a second and six places ahead of Tsunoda, who was fastest in sector one.

Stroll goes fifth but can't get within a second of the fastest time, while Albon goes ninth.

0.002s. That's the gap!

But it's Piastri who is on top, despite Verstappen going faster in both the middle and final sectors.

Hulkenberg ended up seventh fastest, 1.371s off Piastri's time.

Russell has just gone third but Verstappen is next to cross the line...

That lap from Piastri was even with a wheel dipped in the grass on the exit of Malmedy.