Norris warns of looming Red Bull threat at Spa despite McLaren Friday pace

Lando Norris has warned that Red Bull will likely emerge as a bigger threat as the Belgian Grand Prix weekend progresses, despite McLaren enjoying a productive opening day at Spa-Francorchamps. The Briton finished second in FP2 and was the only driver to get within two tenths of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, but past experience has taught him not to read too much into Friday's timesheets.

Why it matters:

McLaren has developed a frustrating pattern this season of looking competitive on Friday only to lose ground when qualifying arrives. Norris's comments reflect a team wary of its own limitations in translating practice pace into single-lap speed, while also acknowledging Red Bull's well-documented ability to unlock extra performance overnight. With Norris also carrying a mandatory 10-place grid penalty for taking a new Mercedes power unit, any loss of Saturday pace will compound an already difficult Sunday afternoon.

The details:

• Friday pace: Norris ended the second practice session just 0.2s behind Antonelli, giving McLaren reason for optimism at a track where straight-line speed is crucial.
• Grid penalty: The Briton will start no higher than 11th on Sunday after fitting a new Mercedes power unit outside of his allocated pool, though he will at least benefit from the manufacturer's latest engine specification.
• Session disruptions: Norris explained that FP1 was compromised by "a few problems" that kept the car in the garage longer than planned. A late red flag in FP2 also prevented the team from completing its planned high-fuel running.
• Red Bull's Saturday step: Max Verstappen topped FP1 and finished third in FP2, but Norris expects the reigning world champion's team to find more time on Saturday. "Red Bull normally just don't turn up on Friday," he said. "We'll get to tomorrow, and they'll be just as quick, if not quicker."
• Team ranking: Despite his own competitive showing, Norris believes McLaren is likely only the fourth-fastest team at the moment, though he hopes the gap to the front has closed since Silverstone.

What's next:

Saturday's final practice and qualifying will test whether McLaren can finally break its Friday-to-Saturday slump. The team has fitted a new rear wing endplate this weekend, and Norris will need that upgrade to deliver genuine qualifying gains to offset his grid penalty. If Red Bull delivers its customary Saturday step as Norris predicts, the fight for pole could quickly become a three-team affair, leaving McLaren to focus on recovery rather than contention on Sunday.