A competitive race is set for Sunday after a thrilling, qualifying session left Charles Leclerc with the 26th pole position of his F1 career, the second-inherited first place finish at this circuit for the driver.
Max Verstappen dominated the session, finishing at the top of the timesheets, 0.595 seconds above second place Leclerc.
The Dutchman takes a ten-place grid penalty, though after his car was fitted with its fifth internal combustion unit; the sport's rules dictate that cars are only allocated four, meaning he will start from 11th.
Sergio Perez also impressed in the Red Bull today, maximising his potential and finishing second, a season's best for the driver, although some criticism has come after Verstappen did not give him the 'tow'.
Had the Oracle Red Bull Racing team decided on this strategy, Checo may have found himself in pole position. The slipstream advantage gives drivers the opportunity to achieve a higher top speed, boosting their pace and improving time.
Mercedes also found themselves lucky after Lewis Hamilton slotted into third; the Brit will look to get on the podium for the fourth time this season as he closes down Oscar Piastri in the drivers championship.
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Qualifying Key Takeaways
Red Bull look to be very strong in Spa, especially as they are one of the only teams not to bring upgrades this weekend.
The only notable change is Verstappen's engine cover; he has gone back to the pre-upgrade specification, now matching that of Perez car, and the change seems to be very efficient.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seemed more uncomfortable than usual in the McLaren; the duo have been unstoppable over the past few weekends, and the Woking-based team looked to be the ones to beat.
While both drivers had some fast sector times, the car just did not seem smooth in the wet and drizzly conditions. McLaren are running a low downforce package, so all hopes may lie in drier weather, which is set for Sunday.
Alpine were also a team to shock so far; the car is almost unrecognisable in the special red Deadpool x Wolverine livery; however, this was not the only surprising factor about them.
Throughout qualifying and free practice, the car seemed rejuvenated. It eased around Spa's tight corners, and the handling was great in the rain. Esteban Ocon will start ninth and Pierre Gasly will begin from 12th on Sunday, a great point-scoring chance for the French team.
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What is the track like?
The circuit of Spa-Francorchamps is a dynamic, action-packed track set in the microclimate of the Belgian countryside.
The track has 19 corners and two DRS zones and it is slightly over seven kilometers so therefore hosts 44 laps of racing, one of the longer tracks on the calendar.
Spa is known for its' intense rain, which can start a downpour quickly and is unforgiving. Because of the surroundings of the circuit, spray can be a big problem as it hangs between the trees and results in low visibility for all.
Eau Rouge is the most famous or infamous corner at the venue; it's the only left-hander in Sector 1, and drivers must speed down the straight before being launched steeply up the hill onto a sweeping left-right-left series of corners with a blind summit.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said, "Spa is one of my absolute favourite tracks in the world, and it's the closest home race for me. It's a circuit that everyone enjoys; through Eau Rouge is always a thrill.".
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Who will win?
The race should be thrilling. Leclerc will look to get away from the line well, but Perez in the faster Red Bull will want to grab the early lead.
Hamilton will also pose a threat; he has skill and expertise on tracks such as this one and needs to stay within DRS of the Mexican for a shot at the lead.
Verstappen can not be written off either as although he starts from 11th, he has done it before, and his pace was a lot faster than the rest, so all drivers will have to watch their backs.
He said; "It was a nice qualifying. Luckily the weather was OK, it was just raining a little but so we could do a decent qualifying.
"The tyres worked well – we could do good lap times and we did not know about Q3 and whether the track would dry out.
"Very happy, the car was doing quite well in the wets and I could just try to do clean lap times in the wet.
"Tomorrow is going to be a different day, it’s going to be warmer."
The weather conditions will be interesting, as it looks dry for the race, so the two-stop strategy should be optimal. Teams will have worked hard throughout practice to set the cars up accordingly, as run times will be faster today than in wet conditions we've seen all weekend.
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Race Start Order
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
- Alexander Albon (Williams)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cash App Racing Bulls)
- Valterri Bottas (Kick Sauber)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Nico Hulkenburg (Haas)
- Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
- Logan Sargeant (Williams)
- Zhou Guanyu (Kick Sauber)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Visa Cash App Racing Bulls)
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Schedule
Race start - 14:00 BST
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