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The 2024 F1 Belgian GP Day 1 ended with a McLaren '1-2' at the top, with Max Verstappen just a couple of tenths behind in P3. The race in Spa is a different kind of challenge for drivers and teams alike. For a car to work well here, you have to find the right compromise between top speed and downforce.
You need top speed to have the ability to race other cars, but at the same time, you also need downforce to make up laptime in the twisty second sector. During the day, the teams tried different iterations, and while it's safe to say that some teams have seemingly found a better solution, there seem to be still a few surprises yet to unfold for all of them.
After two hours of running at the F1 Belgian GP, what have we learned? Let's take a look.
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2024 F1 Belgian GP FP1 and FP2: Key Takeaways
#1 Red Bull and McLaren are very close
Red Bull and McLaren seemed very close to each other as the first day came to a close. FP2, however, had a stark difference from FP1, where Max Verstappen just obliterated the field.
There was one major difference, and that was the fact that Max took off some of the downforce for FP2. We still need to see what Red Bull aims to do with Verstappen for the F1 Belgian GP qualifying, but it does appear that both teams are very close in general.
#2 Sergio Perez is still struggling
Sergio Perez might just be driving his last race as a Red Bull driver, and if the performance he's shown in FP1 and FP2 is an indication, then the F1 Belgian GP might not be the most memorable.
Perez was just too far behind his teammate, and that can't be acceptable with the championship being this close.
#3 Mercedes and Ferrari are a step behind
Even though the gap in the long run gets narrower, the single lap clearly leans heavily towards McLaren and Red Bull. Both Ferrari and Mercedes are teams that are just not optimizing everything yet in terms of the car, and when they do, the gap would decrease even more.
#4 Alpine's upgrade could bring them into contention
The lap from Esteban Ocon in the F1 Belgian GP FP2 turned heads because it was done without any slipstream or any such benefit. It was just a normal lap from the driver that saw him be competitive with the likes of the Ferraris and Mercedes.
When the teams turn the wick up in qualifying, Alpine will likely be a step behind these teams. Having said that, day 1 of the F1 Belgian GP with the upgrades was certainly positive.
#5 Points are on the table for all but one midfield team
Haas is in contention for points, but so are Aston Martin, RB, and to an extent, Williams as well. Except for Sauber, it does appear that every team is in a position to score points if they nail everything during the F1 Belgian GP.
It might come down to strategy, luck, and driver skill when it comes to deciding who will get the final points.
