Verstappen Dominates Belgian GP Qualifying, Leclerc Inherits Pole

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix,

but will start from 11th place after a grid penalty for an engine change.

This leaves Ferrari's Charles Leclerc inheriting pole position,

a surprise late move that denied Sergio Perez the top spot. The qualifying session was held in wet conditions,

with all drivers utilising intermediate tires throughout. Teams opted for different strategies

in Q3, with Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers stopping for fresh inters,

while Mercedes and McLaren stayed out for the duration. Verstappen led the early stages, setting a blistering lap of 1:53.159.

Perez followed closely behind, with Lewis Hamilton in third.

The rest of the top six were occupied by Oscar Piastri, George Russell and Lando Norris. After a cool-down period, Norris managed to overtake both Piastri and Russell,

who were unable to improve their times. However, a late rain shower during Q3 benefited the drivers who had stopped for fresh tires.

Leclerc, who had been in eighth after the initial runs, pulled off a stunning performance

to move into second place, his best qualifying result since Monaco six races ago. Verstappen, despite having the fastest third sector in Q3,

was unable to match his initial time, missing out on pole by a mere 0.042 seconds. Perez also failed to improve on his final run but remained ahead of Hamilton

and the two McLarens. Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, and Esteban Ocon rounded out the top ten. Verstappen successfully navigated Q2 using just one set of inters, with the rain becoming

slightly heavier than in Q1. Alex Albon narrowly missed out on qualifying for Q3,

missing out by just 0.003 seconds to Perez. Also failing to advance were Pierre Gasly,

Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, and Lance Stroll. In Q1, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were eliminated in 16th and 17th,

while Yuki Tsunoda, who set a personal best on his final lap, finished 18th.

Tsunoda will start last due to a penalty for a new engine, promoting the other Q1 fallers,

Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu, who is under investigation for potentially impeding

Verstappen.

Grid Line up for the race

1. Charles Leclerc.
2. Sergio Perez
3. Lewis Hamiton
4. Lando Norris
5. Oscar Piastri
6. George Russell
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Esteban Ocon
10. Alex Albon
11. Max Verstappen
12. Pierre Gasly
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Valtteri Bottas
15. Lance Stroll
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Kevin Magnussen
18. Logan Sargeant
19. Zhou Guanyu
20. Yuki Tsunoda