F1 Belgian GP: Max Verstappen fastest by 0.8s in qualifying but Charles Leclerc to start on pole position
Friday’s delayed qualifying started in wet conditions wit෴h the field on intermediates before drying out mid-way through Q2, enabling the drivers to switch onto slick tyres for the remainder of the session.
A sensational lap from the reigning world champion put him 0.820s clear of nearest challenger Leclerc, but a five-place penalty for exceeding his gearbox allocation for the season means Verstappen will drop to sixth for ♎Sunday’s main grand prix.ജ
Verstappen’s penalty sees Leclerc, who sat on pr🧔ovisional pole prior to the Red Bull driver’s mega final lap, promoted to the very front of the grid at Spa-Francorchamps.
Leclerc will be joined on the front row by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who was thi🔯rd-quickest, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who produced the fastest final sector of anyone to set the fourth-fastest time.
Carlos Sainz was fifth-fastest but will jump up to the second row for Sunday,🐟 with McLaren’s O🌃scar Piastri set to start fifth as the last driver to gain from Verstappen’s penalty.
Piastri edged out McLaren 💮teammate Lando Norris, who will start seventh ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and the Aston Martin♈ pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who completed the top-10.
Daniel Ricciardo will start only 19th for Sunday’s grand prix after paying the price for exceeding track limits and having his best lap time - which was good e💯nough for sixth - ജdeleted.
The returning AlphaTauri driver was ahead of only Ni♏co Hulkenberg, who ended up slowest of all for Haas in 20th.&nไbsp;
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