Lewis Hamilton is hopeful that Ferrari can close the gap to Mercedes at the Belgian Grand Prix, despite admitting that the team's deficit in Friday practice was "bigger than anticipated".
Hamilton was seven tenths behind Friday pace-setter Kimi Antonelli, but the Ferrari driver is confident that they can make up ground as the weekend progresses. "Pretty good day in general, positive, made steps forward, relatively clean sessions," Hamilton said. "We made a couple of changes into P2. The gap seems a bit bigger today, at least in P2, than anticipated but hopefully we can try to close that tomorrow."
Hamilton finished ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc in both practice sessions, but was outpaced by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris. The Brit highlighted the middle sector as the part of the track in which Ferrari needed to focus on finding more speed.
The Italian's nearest challenger in second practice was Norris, who was just 0.190s off the pace. However, Norris will start Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix from 10th on the grid due to a penalty for a new control electronics that exceeds the season's permitted limit.
Verstappen, who topped the first practice session, was nearly half a second off the pace in second practice. However, the Red Bull driver was satisfied with his Friday, saying "We just focus on ourselves. Honestly, I cannot be disappointed. It's been a good day for us."
Hamilton is currently seven points behind Antonelli in the championship standings, with George Russell a further 25 points ahead of him. Ferrari will be looking to close the gap to Mercedes on Saturday, with final practice at 11:30am and qualifying at 3pm.
The Belgian Grand Prix weekend continues on Saturday, with practice three and qualifying, before Sunday's main event. The race will be live on Sky Sports F1, with build-up starting at 10:45am.
Hamilton's team-mate Leclerc will be looking to bounce back from a difficult Friday, while Norris will be hoping to make up for his penalty in Sunday's race. The middle sector of the track will be a key area for Ferrari to focus on if they are to close the gap to Mercedes.
The stage is set for an exciting Belgian Grand Prix, with Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull all looking strong. Saturday's qualifying will be crucial in determining the grid for Sunday's race.
The Belgian Grand Prix is live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, with coverage starting at 10:45am.
Source: Sky Sports