Verstappen leads qualifying in Belgium, but Leclerc takes pole position

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, but a 10-position penalty allowed Charles Leclerc to secure pole position. Sergio Pérez, who finished third, will start in the second position. The session was marked by changing weather conditions and an accident involving Lance Stroll during the final practice.

The final practice before qualifying was dramatic when Lance Stroll had an accident at Eau Rouge due to heavy rain, causing a red flag. Despite the difficult conditions, Verstappen recorded the fastest time with 2m01.565s, beating Oscar Piastri by 1.433s.

Qualifying began with a still-wet track. Drivers used intermediate tires, improving their times lap after lap. In Q1, Sergio Pérez was on the verge of elimination, but his final lap placed him fourth, just behind Oscar Piastri, who led the session. Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen completed the top three positions. The drivers eliminated in this round were Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen, Yuki Tsunoda, Logan Sargeant, and Zhou Guanyu.

During Q2, a slight drizzle reported by Verstappen did not alter the tire choice. Verstappen positioned first with a time of 1m53.837s, followed by Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Pérez advanced in tenth position, surpassing Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo.

Q3 began with the threat of more rain, prompting teams to head out quickly. Verstappen and Pérez initially led with times of 1m53.159s and 1m53.719s, respectively. Lewis Hamilton placed third, followed by Norris and Piastri. In his final attempt, Leclerc improved his time and secured second, relegating Pérez to third. Due to Verstappen's penalty, Leclerc obtained pole position, Pérez moved up to second place, and Hamilton will start third on the grid. Norris, Piastri, Russell, Sainz, Alonso, and Ocon complete the top positions.

Pos	Driver	Team	Time
1	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1'53.754
2	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	1'53.765
3	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1'53.835
4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1'53.981
5	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1'54.027
6	George Russell	Mercedes	1'54.184
7	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1'54.477
8	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1'54.765
9	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1'54.810
10	Alexander Albon	Williams	1'54.473
11	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1'53.159
12	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1'54.635
13	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	1'54.682
14	Valtteri Bottas	Sauber	1'54.764
15	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1'55.716
16	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	1'56.308
17	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1'56.500
18	Logan Sargeant	Williams	1'57.230
19	Zhou Guanyu	Sauber	1'57.775
20	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull	1'56.593