Belgium is set to host the final Formula 1 race before the summer break, with the 14th round of the 2024 season taking place at the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Known for its challenging layout and rich history, Spa always brings excitement.
This weekend, Max Verstappen faces a 10-place grid penalty due to a power unit change, while Yuki Tsunoda will start from the back of the grid after a hefty 60-place penalty for exceeding component limits.
Two red flags interrupted the action in the earlier Free Practice 3 Session. The first was from Lance Stroll's dramatic crash at Eau Rouge, and the second followed heavy rain. Fortunately, the Aston Martin mechanics repaired Stroll's car in time for qualifying.
Spa's notoriously unpredictable weather plays a pivotal role, adding another layer of complexity to the race.
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Qualifying 1 (Q1)
The session began with wet conditions and the Drag Reduction System (DRS) disabled. All cars opted for intermediate tyres. Verstappen quickly set the pace, but Oscar Piastri briefly took P1 before Verstappen reclaimed it with just four minutes to go, edging out Piastri by a mere 0.006 seconds. Lewis Hamilton struggled with grip early on, while Sergio Perez, who had been knocked out of Q1 in the last six races, managed to slot into P4. The FIA noted Zhou Guanyu for impeding Verstappen at Turn 8, prompting an annoyed response from Verstappen: "Hello! What the f***?!"'
Piastri topped the timesheets with a time of 1:54.835, while Pierre Gasly from Alpine claimed second place, just 0.076 seconds behind. Esteban Ocon also had a strong performance, finishing in 8th. The Alpines' improved results could be attributed to the significant upgrades the team introduced for this weekend. Meanwhile, both Haas drivers (Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen), Yuki Tsunoda, Logan Sargeant, and Zhou Guanyu were eliminated in Q1.
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Qualifying 2 (Q2)
With the track drying out, lap times improved. Lando Norris shaved a second off his Q1 time, and Alex Albon set an impressive lap to go P3 early on. However, Russell and Albon reported rear sliding issues and dropped as other drivers improved their times. Verstappen remained dominant, posting a time of 1:53.837 to stay comfortably in P1. Carlos Sainz improved his time late in the session, knocking Albon out of the top ten. Perez narrowly avoided elimination, scraping through in P10, a relief amid rumours about his future with Red Bull. Albon, Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, and Lance Stroll were eliminated in Q2.
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Qualifying 3 (Q3)
Rain began to fall in the middle sector as Q3 got underway. Perez, on used tyres, briefly took provisional pole before Verstappen reclaimed the top spot with a time of 1:53.159. Piastri lost a few tenths after putting a rear tyre into the gravel. Both Ferrari drivers pitted for a final set of fresh intermediates. Hamilton improved his time but couldn't break the Red Bull 1-2. Leclerc ended up 0.595 seconds behind Verstappen, securing pole position for the second consecutive year as Verstappen's penalty will push him to P11. Perez will start on the front row alongside Leclerc.
Perez reflected on the challenging conditions: "Very tricky out there. It was good to finally put it together. Unfortunately, we didn't have any new tyres in Q3. P2 is the best position you can wish for at Spa. Like I've always said, every weekend is a new opportunity to do better. I think tomorrow's degradation will be tricky and graining - there are a lot of unknowns, but I have a good feeling."
Leclerc was pleasantly surprised by the result: "I definitely did not expect that this weekend, with the tricky conditions to do something above our expectations. We need to focus on tomorrow and what will happen when the rain is gone. Without the rain, P5 was the position we were fighting for with the Mercedes - the rain helped us, but I'm not going to complain. I'm really happy. It's not the easiest first place to keep on the first lap, but I'll see; every start is different."
Verstappen remained optimistic despite the penalty: "It was a nice qualifying. Luckily, the weather was okay; it was raining a little bit, but we could still do a decent qualifying. The car was working quite well in the wet, so I could just do my laps. Tomorrow is a different day, warmer, no rain. It's all about tyre degradation - I don't know how quick we'll be, but I hope we can be in the mix. The race can be lost in Turn 1 so I just need to see what happens and go from there."
With seven different race winners this season, can Sergio Perez prove his worth and become the eighth winner, or will Charles Leclerc convert his pole position into his second victory of this season? Stay tuned for the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, 28th July, at 14:00 BST.
