Who saw that one coming from Charles Leclerc in the end?! Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc will start from pole for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after inheriting the top spot from Max Verstappen, who set the fastest time in a damp Saturday shootout.
Max Verstappen clocked a 1:53.201s, leading Charles Leclerc and his teammate Perez by six-tenths. But with his engine penalty dropping him down 10 places on tomorrow’s grid to 11th, pole position for tomorrow’s Belgian GP goes to Charles Leclerc after the Ferrari driver’s banzai final attempt!
The day began with a rain-soaked FP3 and a postponed F2 sprint race, but the weather improved as Q1 commenced. The track was declared wet by the FIA, requiring Intermediate tires for the initial runs.
Lando Norris from McLaren was the first to set a lap time, with drivers rushing to record times before the rain returned. Norris posted a 1:58.894s, but faster times soon followed as the track dried.
Verstappen quickly took the top spot, while both Mercedes struggled with grip. Norris climbed from 17th to fourth on his second attempt, with other drivers like Hulkenberg, Hamilton, and Russell also improving.
Drivers pitted for fresh Intermediate tires, including Norris, with no indication of the track drying. Perez moved up to second with a strong lap, but was soon overtaken by Leclerc and Ricciardo.
Piastri set a 1:55.549s on used Intermediate tires, taking first place. With six minutes remaining, the two Haas cars, the two Williams, and Lance Stroll were in the elimination zone.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz improved their positions as Verstappen broke the 1:55.000s barrier. Norris moved out of the drop zone into fifth, with the Monegasque and George Russell climbing to second and third, respectively. Oscar Piastri finished Q1 with the fastest lap, followed by Gasly. Several drivers improved their times, avoiding elimination, including Perez, Alonso, and Ocon. Both Haas drivers, Tsunoda, Sargeant, and Zhou were eliminated.
Q2 started with mixed reports of rain, but early fast times from Albon, Ocon, Russell, Gasly, and Alonso suggested improving conditions. Norris posted a time over a second faster than his Q1 lap. Perez also showed improvement, but Verstappen led with a 1:53.857s on his first attempt. As heavier rain fell, drivers struggled more, but Verstappen and Russell continued to post better times.
With four minutes left, elimination threatened both Ferraris and Hamilton, but they managed to escape the drop zone in the final stages. Piastri set a strong second place, despite a minor off-track moment. Perez’s final lap placed him fourth, just ahead of his teammate and the two McLarens. However, Ocon, Hamilton, Russell, and Alonso posted significant improvements, pushing Perez close to elimination. Albon missed Q3 by 0.003s, with Bottas, Albon, Gasly, Ricciardo, and Stroll eliminated.
Q3 began without rain, and Hamilton set an early pace with a 1:54.011s. However, Verstappen led after the first round of flying laps, ahead of Perez. The Mercedes drivers and Piastri couldn’t improve on their second attempts.
Red Bull emerged on new Intermediate tires with two minutes remaining, aiming for a strong result. Sainz and Leclerc also set out on fresh rubber, showing some improvement. Leclerc pipped Perez to second with his final lap, while Sainz remained eighth.
Max Verstappen retained his top spot despite a purple final sector. Leclerc secured second place, followed by Perez. Hamilton’s final time put him ahead of Norris in fourth. Piastri finished sixth, followed by Russell, Sainz, Alonso, and Ocon rounding out the top 10.
RESULT QUALIFICATION – BELGIAN
| # | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME | TYRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   Max VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull | 1:53.159 |  |
| 2 |   Charles LECLERC | Ferrari | 1:53.754 | |
| 3 |   Sergio PÉREZ | Red Bull | 1:53.765 | |
| 4 |   Lewis HAMILTON | Mercedes | 1:53.835 | |
| 5 |  Lando NORRIS | McLaren | 1:53.981 | |
| 6 |   Oscar PIASTRI | McLaren | 1:54.027 | |
| 7 |  George RUSSELL | Mercedes | 1:54.184 | |
| 8 |   Carlos SAINZ | Ferrari | 1:54.477 | |
| 9 |  Fernando ALONSO | Aston Martin | 1:54.765 | |
| 10 |   Esteban OCON | Alpine | 1:54.810 | |
| 11 |   Alexander ALBON | Williams | 1:54.473 | |
| 12 |  Pierre GASLY | Alpine | 1:54.635 | |
| 13 |  Daniel RICCIARDO | VCARB | 1:54.682 | |
| 14 |   Valtteri BOTTAS | Stake | 1:54.764 | |
| 15 |   Lance STROLL | Aston Martin | 1:55.716 | |
| 16 |   Nico HULKENBERG | Haas | 1:56.308 | |
| 17 |   Kevin MAGNUSSEN | Haas | 1:56.500 | |
| 18 |   Yuki TSUNODA | VCARB | 1:56.593 | |
| 19 |   Logan SARGEANT | Williams | 1:57.230 | |
| 20 |   Guanyu ZHOU | Stake | 1:57.775 | |
