Verstappen fastest in Belgium Qualy, Leclerc starts first on Sunday

Max Verstappen showed his great pace at the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session by setting the fastest time, outperforming the competition by 0.595 seconds.

However, due to an engine penalty, he will not start from pole position. Instead, Charles Leclerc will take P1, with Sergio Perez joining him on the front row.

The qualifying session was in wet conditions in Q1 and Q2, with more rain anticipated for Q3. This led to drivers queuing in the pit lane, with Lewis Hamilton questioning Mercedes if it was advantageous for him to be ahead, to which they responded that it depended on the rain’s intensity. Verstappen was the last driver to leave the pit lane.

CHARLES LECLERC WILL START SUNDAY’S GRAND PRIX ON POLE 💪

The Ferrari driver finishes qualifying in P2 behind Max Verstappen who is taking a 10-place grid penalty for the race#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/RyPHOeaRYN

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Hamilton initially set the pace with a 1:54.0, followed by Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Lando Norris. However, the Red Bulls soon took over, with Perez, on used tires, going fastest before Verstappen topped the times with a 1:53.159.

On his second run, Leclerc managed to surpass Perez, securing second place but still trailing Verstappen by 0.595 seconds. Perez, struggling in the middle sector, opted to pit rather than complete his flying lap.

Despite Verstappen’s top qualifying time, his engine penalty means he will start from P11. This promotes Leclerc to pole position, with Perez beside him on the front row.