SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- Lewis Hamilton edged Kimi Raikkonen by 0.262s to top Friday's afternoon practice session, which saw the top five drivers covered by 0.5s.
Hamilton set a 1:44.753 to lead the session and swap positions with Raikkonen, who had beaten him to the fastest time in FP1. Mercedes is favoured this weekend due to the power-sensitive nature of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit but Ferrari will be encouraged by the gap to Hamilton from the afternoon's qualifying simulations.
The session was hit by a deluge of rain just after the completion of the qualifying simulations, which could be a sign of things to come with rain forecast for Sunday afternoon.