Lando Norris led the way in a McLaren one-two during qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix, outpacing teammate Oscar Piastri for pole position. Norris’s strong performance sets him up well to challenge Piastri in the championship battle, following his recent victory at Silverstone. Piastri, although disappointed with missing out on pole, faces the challenge of maintaining his position due to the demanding nature of the circuit.
Charles Leclerc expressed surprise at his third-place qualifying result, given Ferrari’s struggles with pace. Conversely, Lewis Hamilton endured another difficult session, failing to progress from the bottom five due to a deleted lap time for exceeding track limits. Hamilton will start Sunday’s race from 16th on the grid.
The session began with a chaotic incident involving Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll, resulting in damage to both cars. Stroll’s performance was impacted, finishing at the bottom of the standings alongside teammate Fernando Alonso. Despite challenges, some drivers like Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto managed to improve their positions in the later stages of qualifying.
In the final qualifying session, Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a seventh-place finish, aiming for a strong race performance for Red Bull. Max Verstappen secured fourth place, with George Russell and Alexander Albon also delivering notable performances. The session saw Haas, Alpine, and Pierre Gasly miss out on the top ten positions, while Bortoleto claimed the final spot on the grid.
The qualifying results set the stage for an exciting race at Spa-Francorchamps, with drivers aiming to capitalize on their grid positions for a successful Grand Prix.
