Carlos Sainz topped the sole practice session at this weekend’s Belgian GP from Oscar Piastri in a heavily weather-affected hour of running.
A 10-minute red flag curtailed affairs though teams were already disinterested in risking their cars.
As such, there were lengthy periods when there were no cars on track, with the final 20 minutes limited to installation laps to satisfy tyre regulations.
Intermittent rain which had covered the circuit since Thursday remained as practice began, ensuring a wet track.
Visibility was good, though low cloud cover had seen that come and go throughout the morning – typically in rapid fashion.
Spray was a factor, however, even with just the intermediate rubber in use as Alex Albon opted for to commence the session.
Mercedes fitted the wets for Lewis Hamilton, who was the third car on track behind Albon and his Williams team-mate, Logan Sargeant.
While undeniably wet, there were few locations where standing water posed any problem.
Heavier rain soon started falling, with a fog rolling into the circuit over Eau Rouge and Raidillon.
It began to take conditions away from those on intermediate rubber, Albon skating long at the chicane at the end of the lap as the rain intensified.
He was fastest at the time, though it counted for little given just six drivers had set a lap, and more than half were still ensconced in the garage.
Those who were on track used the full wet, the only reasonable choice available.
Little could be learned in terms of set-up or ride height on the wet rubber, given its greater circumference and therefore ride height.
As such, there was little value in running, as demonstrated after 10 minutes when the circuit fell silent – a total of 25 laps logged across 11 cars.
Crucially, teams were advised that times from the session would not be used to determine the grid for either the race or F1 Sprint.
In normal circumstances, should qualifying be cancelled the starting order is determined by the times set in practice.
The FIA, in an effort to prevent the wet practice session from becoming a competitive outing, announced the change 20 minutes into the session.
It was a prudent decision, with rain set to remain throughout the weekend, there is a distinct possibility qualifying could be impacted.
To address that, it was announced that other sessions would be cancelled if necessary, ensuring practice remained an opportunity for teams to test and refine set-up rather than becoming a pseudo-qualifying session.
Teams did venture back out when the rain eased, Oscar Piastri going fastest from Lando Norris after 27 minutes.
The McLaren duo had used the intermediate rubber, showing had far conditions had come as the weather remained typically variable – and rapidly so.
A lap later, Carlos Sainz went faster, only for the weather to deteriorate once again.
Zhou Guanyu was caught out in the conditions, as was Albon, the latter skating off at Les Combes at the end of the Kemmel Straight.
Zhou ran wide at Rivage, bouncing over the gravel but escaping.
Less fortunate was Logan Sargeant, who tagged the wall at Les Combes after complaining of being unable to turn the car.
While the car was largely undamaged, the incident drew the red flag as it was cleared away.
That process took 10 minutes, by which time conditions had closed in, the rain falling heavier than it had all day.
Predictably, there was no stampede to get back out on track despite only 20 minutes of track time remaining before cars effectively entered parc ferme.
In pit lane, a number of drivers had even climbed from their cars; Max Verstappen having banked a single lap (though subsequently, he climbed back in), Piastri, Norris, and Daniel Ricciardo.
Red Bull ended the silence, sending Sergio Perez and Verstappen back out on intermediate rubber with 12 minutes remaining.
Both cycled back to the pits, as Aston Martin sent its pairing out before immediately pitting them once more.
It was a move designed to satisfy the regulations which state that drivers who use a set of intermediate rubber will receive an additional set, provided a used set is returned to Pirelli.
As a result, both Red Bull and Aston Martin were effectively compelled to send their drivers out in conditions that were unsuitable for intermediate tyres, purely to satisfy the regulations in the context of remaining competitive for the balance of the weekend.
With two minutes remaining, some headed out on the full wets, plumes of spray much larger than they had been earlier in the session.
Again, it was with a view to satisfying the requirement of being on track as the chequered flag fell in order to complete and practice start.
Even still, few headed out; Ferrari sent both its drivers while Hamilton was the sole Mercedes.
There was more standing water than there had been earlier, while visibility was such Sainz ran off the road while following Hamilton.
The Spaniard ended the session fastest though it counts for little given the conditions.
It is, however, the only practice session of the weekend with qualifying for Sunday’s race set to follow.
Saturday is given over to the F1 Sprint, with the Shootout welcoming drivers on track as the day begins, and then the 100km competitive encounter that follows.
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