The Sprint Race qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix has just concluded. Below is a detailed summary and the full results from what proved to be the most intense session of the weekend.
SQ1: McLaren Immediately Dominant, Hamilton and Antonelli Out
In the first phase of Sprint Qualifying (SQ1), McLaren showed strong early pace, quickly establishing themselves at the top of the leaderboard. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris locked out the top positions with their papaya-colored cars. Max Verstappen managed to insert himself between the two McLarens, finishing the session in second place, just behind Piastri (#81) and ahead of Norris (#4). Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured a provisional eighth place, sandwiched between Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz, in a fiercely competitive session.
The biggest shocks came with the elimination of two prominent drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli. The seven-time World Champion spun at the entry to the last chicane due to a rear-wheel lock-up, ending his qualifying early. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli made a costly mistake by running wide in one of the fast corners, compromising the rest of his qualifying effort. On the brighter side, young talent Oliver Bearman impressed by advancing to SQ2. Drivers eliminated in SQ1 were: Alex Albon, Nico Hülkenberg, Lewis Hamilton, Franco Colapinto, and Kimi Antonelli.
SQ2: Russell Also Out, Haas Impress, McLaren on the Edge
The second phase of Sprint Qualifying (SQ2) started slightly delayed to allow track marshals to clear the runoff area after Antonelli’s off-track excursion in the previous session.
SQ2 turned out to be an intense and eventful session. Lando Norris topped the timesheets, while his teammate Oscar Piastri narrowly secured tenth place, highlighting how close the fight for a top-ten spot was. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc chased closely behind Norris, positioning themselves as contenders for pole position in the final phase.
Mercedes suffered another setback: following Antonelli’s exit in SQ1, George Russell was also forced to stop early, failing to reach the top ten. Haas delivered a standout performance with Esteban Ocon claiming a remarkable fourth place and Oliver Bearman finishing seventh, underlining the team’s strength in this qualifying segment. Drivers eliminated in SQ2 included Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll.
SQ3: One Flying Lap Each
The final Sprint Qualifying session featured just one flying lap per driver. The quartet of Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc immediately went head-to-head in a fierce battle.
Haas maintained their strong showing with Esteban Ocon finishing fifth and Oliver Bearman securing seventh place. Below is the starting grid for tomorrow’s Sprint Race:
1 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3 Lando Norris (McLaren)
4 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5 Esteban Ocon (Haas)
6 Carlos Sainz (Williams)
7 Ollie Bearman (Haas)
8 Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
9 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
10 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
11 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
12 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
13 George Russell (Mercedes)
14 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
15 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
16 Alex Albon (Williams)
17 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
18 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
19 Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
20 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
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