Charles Leclerc has secured pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix after qualifying in second place behind Max Verstappen, who is facing a 10-place grid penalty for the race. Verstappen, despite setting the fastest time in his Red Bull during the rainy qualifying session, will have to start from 11th due to the penalty incurred by Red Bull for exceeding the allowed number of power units.
Following Leclerc in the qualifying session was Sergio Pérez from Red Bull in second place, with Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes in third, and the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in fourth and fifth, respectively. Verstappen currently holds a significant lead of 76 points over Norris in the overall standings, despite not winning a race in the last three outings.
Verstappen remains optimistic about his chances in the race, acknowledging the challenge of starting from the back of the grid but expressing confidence in his ability to battle with the cars ahead. His rivals, including Norris and Hamilton, anticipate a strong performance from the Red Bull driver as he navigates his way through the field.
During the qualifying session, the wet conditions posed a challenge for the drivers, with spray trails emerging as the cars sped through the rain-soaked track at Spa-Francorchamps. Leclerc’s pole position mirrored a similar scenario from the previous year when he inherited the top spot from Verstappen due to a penalty.
In a surprising turn of events, Pérez delivered a standout performance in qualifying, nearly clinching pole position before being edged out by Leclerc’s final flying lap. The Mexican driver’s strong showing comes after struggling in recent qualifying sessions and facing speculation about his future at Red Bull.
Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull will start from the back of the grid alongside Verstappen due to exceeding the allotted number of new engines and additional parts. Despite the challenges and penalties faced by some drivers, the stage is set for an exciting race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.