The sprint at Spa-Francorchamps didn’t go quite as Lando Norris had hoped, as he finished third behind Max Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri. Having won the past two grands prix, Norris would like to keep the momentum going, especially as he chases down Piastri for the driver’s championship.
Well, following the sprint, in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix proper, Norris succeeded.
After having a track-best sector two in his penultimate attempt in Q3, Norris outpaced everyone, beating Piastri by just 0.085 to achieve the pole position.
Despite struggles this weekend, Ferrari ended up seeing Charles LeClerc finish strong, as his final lap in Q3 got him into third position for Sunday’s race. However, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who appeared to make Q2, was eliminated in Q1 when it was determined that he had gone off-track after a solid run.
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Mercedes had its struggles. Rookie Kimi Antonelli, who has had a tough go as of late, didn’t make Q2. George Russell had appeared to get fifth position, but at the very end, he was usurped by Williams’ Alexander Albon.
Red Bull’s upgrades seem to be working for them at Spa. Not only did Verstappen win the sprint race, but Yuki Tsunoda surprisingly finished seventh in qualifying for Sunday’s race. That said, Verstappen finished fourth in qualifying, after struggling to find grip in Q3.
Sunday’s lineup
Here is the field entering the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on Sunday:
- Lando Norris – McLaren
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren
- Charles LeClerc – Ferrari
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull
- Alexander Albon – Williams
- George Russell – Mercedes
- Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
- Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls
- Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Kick Sauber
- Esteban Ocon – Haas
- Oliver Bearman – Haas
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine
- Nico Hülkenberg – Kick Sauber
- Carlos Sainz – Williams
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
- Franco Colapinto – Alpine
- Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
- Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
Potential penalty?
There is a chance that the order could slightly change as the FIA is investigating a potential unsafe entry infraction, as Nico Hülkenberg was looking to enter the lineup in the pit lane while Lance Stroll moved forward where Hülkenberg thought there was room. The two crashed, and Hülkenberg needed a new front wing as a result. If it’s ruled against Stroll, there will be no change, but it could alter the lineup if the German driver is found to be at fault.
Despite this being the lineup, showers are expected to be persistent for Sunday’s race, which could certainly see big shakeups on the grid during the race itself.
