Belgian GP: Verstappen quickest, Leclerc takes pole at wet Spa
Max Verstappen was quickest in qualifying for the Belgian GP, but a grid penalty for an engine change...
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Max Verstappen was quickest in qualifying for the Belgian GP, but a grid penalty for an engine change means the Red Bull will start the race from P11 while Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez get to be on the front row.
Changeable wet conditions meant it was a hectic session with no one able to sit back on their laurels as track conditions changed by the second, even Perez only just making the final cut at the end of Q2.
Those unlucky to make the grade were Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo, while neither Haas driver proved able to progress beyond the end of the first round.
The good news was that after the morning washout, the rain has stopped and the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was drying out. The bad news that more rain during qualifying was forecast with dark clouds clamouring for attention over the Ardennes forest. Clearly, anything could happen in the next hour.
Q1: Piastri quickest in wet start to qualifying while Haas miss out with both cars
Inevitably there was a crowd of cars waiting on intermediates to get out when the light at the end of pit lane, with Oscar Piastri annoyed to have the two Haas cars muscle into the queue ahead of him. The track was still wet enough for the cars to throw plenty of spray up into the air and for race control to keep DRS firmly in the 'off' position for now.
Piastri set the initial pace with a lap of 1:57.411s before the Red Bull drivers showed up to make their play, Max Verstappen going top by a second and a half. He was almost immediately deposed by Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. The two Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell then tucked into third and fifth respectively, despite Hamilton complaining of no grip whatsoever.
The two Alpines made strong starts, Pierre Gasly going second ahead of Piastri, while Esteban Ocon was eighth just behind Lando Norris. With the inters soon moving water off the race line, Leclerc improved his time to go quickest ahead of Daniel Ricciardo's flier in the RB, before a new effort from Piastri put the McLaren on top with a time of 1:54.835s
By now Norris was at risk of elimination but a last gasp lap was more than good enough to put him through, as did improvements from Lewis Hamilton and Alex ALbon. Russell was among those in the bottom five with only time for one more lap but he soon jumped into the top ten, with Perez and Sainz also making late escapes from the drop zone. That left the two Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen along with RB's Yuki Tsunoda, Williams' Logan Sargeant and Sauber's Zhou Guanyu missing the cut.
Q2: Verstappen fastest as changing conditions result in a mad scramble to make the cut
With the threat of rain still on everyone's minds, it was another quick start to the second round of qualifying with Albon leading the way out of pit lane on a new set of intermediates. Alex Albon briefly went top before Norris took over, and then it was Verstappen back in charge with a time of 1:53.857s as the rain briefly picked up in intensity once more.
The worsening conditions meant that Gasly tried but failed to force his way into the top ten. Russell was also at risk in P11 along with Leclerc, Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll but the track was simply too wet to allow them to drive their way out of trouble. Russell aquaplaned into a lurid slide on this run, but somehow managed to vault into P4.
The track was coming back to them, and the two Ferraris likewise scampered to the safety of the top ten. That left Perez on the bubble, and he was dumped into the drop zone by the latest flier from Ricciardo, but the Aussie responded immediately by punching in the fourth fastest lap. Ocon went even quicker and now it was the two Mercedes in danger of elimination: Hamilton and Russell promptly responded, with their final push putting them P2 and P3 respectively.
After a breathless finish to the round, by the time the chequered flag came out and the water spray in the air had settled back down to the ground, Perez was back on the bubble but he had nonetheless just made the cut. Those missing out were Albon, Gasly, Ricciardo, Bottas and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll.
Q3: Verstappen quickest but Leclerc pips Sunday pole position from Perez
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had both made it through to the final top ten pole shoot-our round and were at the head of the lin to get back out on track even as the rain continued to fall, meaning that there was still no alternative to running on inters and forsaking DRS.
Hamilton was top initially with Piastri finding P2 ahead of Russell despite dipping a wheel in the gravel along the way, but it was Verstappen and Perez who quickly shot to the top with a time of 1:53.159s for the championship leader on fresh tyres, six tenths ahead of his team mate on a used set.
Ferrari opted to run used tyres first with Sainz only seventh ahead of Leclerc, but they still had a fresh set of inters for their final push. McLaren and Mercedes both opted to leave their drivers out for a second run but found little improvement although Norris was able to edge ahead of Piastri. By the time everyone pitted and embarked on their final runs, the rain was giving it another good old fashioned try at mixing things up.
Leclerc pulled out something special to go second ahead of Perez who was out of fresh tyres. Verstappen couldn't improve his existing time, but remained top anyway. However he'll start tomorrow's race from outside the top ten due to his grid penalty for taking an additional engine.
That will leave Leclerc and Perez on the front row of the grid tomorrow, with Hamilton and Norris sharing row two ahead of Piastri and Russell. Sainz was only eighth putting him alongside Alonso, while Ocon will be paired by Albon at the back of the top ten just ahead of the demoted Verstappen who will be aiming to make short work of them both when the lights go out on Sunday.
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