Verstappen dominates damp Spa qualifying, Leclerc on pole · RaceFans

Max Verstappen set the quickest time in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix but Charles Leclerc will start from pole position.

For the second year in a row at Spa, Verstappen set the fastest time in Q3 but will drop positions on the grid because of a penalty.

Instead, Leclerc will take pole with Sergio Perez starting alongside him on the front row in second place, just as they did in 2023.

Q1

With the final practice session taking place in wet conditions, and the rain having increased in intensity since, resulting in the postponement of the F2 sprint race, it was little surprise that the track was still wet when the first phase of qualifying began.

Lando Norris won the race to the end of the pit lane at the start of the session as the entire field headed out on intermediate tyres. Norris’s first time of a 1’58.894 was comfortably beaten by team mate Oscar Piastri while Max Verstappen, running immediately in front of Norris, immediately leapt to the top of the times.

Despite more light rain falling over the circuit, it was not enough to make the conditions significantly worse, which allowed drivers to continue to improve. Both McLarens pitted for fresh intermediates but Verstappen remained out on used tyres, returning to the top of the times in the process.

In the closing moments, there was a mix of drivers who had pitted for fresh intermediates and those who had opted to remain out on track and have a better chance of reaching the timing line to start a final run. Although Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were among many who got caught in traffic in the late run to the line, they both successfully made it through into Q2 without falling into the drop zone.

Once all cars had taken the chequered flag, the two Haas drivers of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were eliminated in 16th and 17th, respectively. Yuki Tsunoda was also out in 18th, but will start at the back anyway due to his power unit change penalty.

Logan Sargeant failed to progress after locking up into La Source on his final attempt. Zhou Guanyu was the slowest driver knocked out, but will also have to visit the stewards after qualifying over an alleged impeding incident involving Verstappen passing through Blanchimont.

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Q1 result

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Q2

The track conditions had changed little as Q2 got underway. Many of those who had pitted for a second set of intermediate tyres at the end of Q1 returned to the track with those same tyres for the start of the second session, including Hamilton, Piastri and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.

Verstappen reported fresh rain in the opening sector on his first flying lap as he restored his place at the top of the times. Norris was closest to the world champion, six tenths slower on his used intermediates, while Alexander Albon went third fastest in his Williams.

At the mid-point of the session, drivers reported increased rainfall. Norris expressed his fears that it would be hard to improve even on his new intermediates, but moments later Verstappen found more time and extended his margin at the top.

In the final two minutes, Sergio Perez sat in the drop zone in 11th place and in need of improving to reach Q3. He comfortably did so, jumping up into fourth. That meant the two Mercedes had to find time if they were to join him, and both Russell and Hamilton spared Brackley’s blushes by posting times good enough for the top three.

Although he had improved, Perez began falling down the order again. He ended up on the bubble in tenth, just three-thousandths of a second in safety, but those behind him in the order were unable to find enough time to eliminate the Red Bull.

Albon was the unlucky driver who missed out on a top ten berth by a tiny margins, while Pierre Gasly was frustrated to miss out on joining team mate Esteban Ocon in Q3. Daniel Ricciardo was the next driver out in 13th, with Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll knocked out slowest.

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Q2 result

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Q3

The circuit was still too wet for slicks as the final phase of qualifying got underway. Hamilton led the 10 cars out and reported that it was no longer raining as he prepared his new intermediates for his first attempt.

Hamilton was the quicker of the two Mercedes their first runs, with Piastri splitting them to go second, just 0.016s slower than Hamilton. Norris was unable to match his team mate and fell beehind Russell into fourth.

The Red Bulls were the last of the pole contenders to complete their laps, with Perez putting his Red Bull on provisional pole position by two tenths. Verstappen was next to cross the line and he went comfortably quickest with a 1’53.159, six tenths ahead of his team mate.

While Verstappen returned to the pits, the McLarens and Mercedes remainined out. Although Hamilton, Russell and Norris all improved with their second attempts, only Norris improved position, moving ahead of Russell and Piastri into fourth.

Verstappen and the two Ferraris were the only one to head out on fresh intermediates for their final attempts. Sainz failed to improve but Leclerc leapt up into second place with his last lap.

Verstappen improved in the opening and final sectors but could not find time over the rest of the lap. However, it did not matter as neither of the McLarens or Mercedes could find any improvement on their used intermediates, securing the fastest time of the session.

Because of his ten-place grid penalty, Verstappen will start from 11th as a result of his performance, while Leclerc will inherit pole position. Perez will start alongside him on the front row after being third in the session, with Hamilton behind having beaten the two McLarens of Norris and Piastri.

Russell was seventh but will start sixth, with Sainz behind him in what will become seventh. Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon will both move up one place, as will Albon, who will complete the top ten. Verstappen will therefore start from 11th on the grid.

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Q3 result