Norris tops Belgium practice as Verstappen faces grid penalty

British driver Lando Norris excelled in the second practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix, clocking the fastest time ahead of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. World Championship leader Max Verstappen finished third and will face a ten-place grid penalty. Red Bull decided to incur the penalty for using a fifth engine at Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, given that overtaking is easier on this circuit compared to others. Despite winning the race from 14th place two years ago, Verstappen will face a tough challenge due to McLaren's strong performance. In the second practice, Norris set the fastest lap time of 1:42.260, edging out Piastri by 0.215 seconds, with Verstappen just 0.217 seconds behind. Verstappen had recorded the fastest time in the first practice with a lap of 1:43.372. Ferrari drivers improved in the second practice, with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth and Carlos Sainz fifth. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton dropped to sixth and tenth, respectively. Esteban Ocon faced t echnical issues with his Alpine, completing only one lap in the first practice but finishing seventh by the end of the day. Kevin Magnussen from Haas posted the eighth fastest time, while Sergio Pérez struggled with his Red Bull, placing ninth, over a second behind Norris. Despite a break in the rain, rain is expected to return on Saturday during the final practice and qualifying sessions. Yuki Tsunoda is set to start from the back of the grid on Sunday due to an engine penalty. Source: Bahrain News Agency