Lewis Hamilton expressed optimism that Ferrari can narrow the gap to their rivals as the Belgian Grand Prix weekend unfolds, despite acknowledging a larger-than-expected deficit during Friday practice.

In the first practice session, Hamilton finished just over a tenth behind Max Verstappen from Red Bull, but fell seven tenths behind Kimi Antonelli, who led the second session for Mercedes. Currently, Antonelli holds a 25-point lead over teammate George Russell, with Hamilton sitting in third, trailing Russell by seven points as he pursues a record eighth F1 title.

Hamilton noted:

Pretty good day in general, positive, made steps forward, relatively clean sessions.

• He recognized a significant gap in the second session, stating, "The gap seems a bit bigger today, at least in P2, than anticipated."

Despite the challenges, Hamilton managed to outperform teammate Charles Leclerc in both sessions. He identified the middle sector as an area needing improvement for Ferrari, saying, "We're lacking a little bit in the middle sector for some reason."

Verstappen experienced a strong start, topping the first session but finishing third in the second. He commented on Red Bull's performance, emphasizing the balance of their car and expressing confidence in their competitiveness.

Lando Norris from McLaren closely challenged Antonelli but faces a 10-grid place penalty for the race due to exceeding control electronics limits. He noted the team's consistency and potential for improvement compared to their performance at Silverstone.

The Belgian GP schedule includes:

• Saturday, July 18: Practice sessions and qualifying
• Sunday, July 19: Races and build-up events leading to the main race at 2 PM.