F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen tops sprint shootout from Piastri by 0.011s

At the F1 Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen emerged victorious in the sprint qualifying round, narrowly defeating Oscar Piastri by 0.011 seconds. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and fourth respectively, with a minor slip-up from Leclerc during his final Q3 lap proving decisive in their tussle for pole position.

Inclement weather resulted in a 35-minute delay as the Spa track was once again drenched in rain. Lewis Hamilton initially led the way in Q3, but Sergio Perez’s unconventional strategy of adding an extra preparation lap temporarily put him in the lead. However, a communication mix-up with teammate George Russell resulted in both Mercedes drivers getting in each other’s way, causing them to fall back in the ranks.

Leclerc seemed poised for the pole position after posting the fastest times in the first and third sectors. However, a near off-road experience at Turn 9 cost him precious time, allowing Sainz’s time of 1m49.081s to take the third place. Piastri and Verstappen then delivered outstanding performances to secure the top two spots, with Verstappen’s consistent final lap of 1m49.056s winning him the sprint race.

Other noteworthy performances included Lando Norris taking sixth in the other McLaren and Pierre Gasly’s seventh place finish after utilizing the double warm-up lap strategy in Q3. George Russell also made it to the top 10 despite a mistake that resulted in him running ahead of Hamilton, which seemed to hamper the latter’s final effort.

The second part of the qualifying session saw Lance Stroll crashing his Aston after attempting to change from inters to mediums, which ultimately led to the elimination of Daniel Ricciardo, Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant. Additionally, Fernando Alonso and Alexander Albon failed to set a time due to Stroll’s accident.

In the first part of the qualifying session, Verstappen emerged on top, despite a possible impeding incident with Hamilton. However, no action was taken by the stewards regarding this incident. Yuki Tsunoda performed well but could only manage 16th place, while Kevin Magnussen was the top finisher for Haas, despite his teammate Nico Hulkenberg not managing to attempt a flier.

The final rankings showed Verstappen on top, followed by Piastri, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris, Gasly, Hamilton, Perez, Ocon, and Russell making up the top 10. Ricciardo, Albon, Sargeant, Stroll, Alonso, Tsunoda, Bottas, Magnussen, Zhou Guanyu, and Hulkenberg rounded out the rest of the field.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Belgian GP

What was the result of the F1 Belgian GP sprint qualifying?

Max Verstappen secured the first position in the F1 Belgian GP sprint qualifying, narrowly edging out Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.011 seconds.

Who finished third and fourth in the qualifying session?

Carlos Sainz finished in third place, while his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc secured the fourth position in the qualifying session.

What caused the delay in the qualifying session?

The qualifying session was delayed by 35 minutes due to heavy rain that drenched the Spa track prior to the shootout qualifying.

How did Lewis Hamilton perform in Q3?

Lewis Hamilton led the session after the first runs in Q3, but he could only manage a seventh-place finish after a miscommunication with his teammate George Russell.

What mistake cost Charles Leclerc a better shot at pole position?

A small slip-up on his final Q3 lap at Turn 9 cost Charles Leclerc valuable time and prevented him from beating Carlos Sainz’s time for the third position.

Who secured the fastest time in the middle sector during the sprint qualifying?

Oscar Piastri recorded the fastest time in the middle sector during the sprint qualifying session.

Which teams/drivers failed to set a timed lap in Q2 due to Lance Stroll’s accident?

Lance Stroll’s accident in Q2 prevented Daniel Ricciardo, Alexander Albon, and Logan Sargeant from setting a timed lap in that segment.

Who topped the times in Q1 of the qualifying session?

Max Verstappen posted the fastest time in Q1, leading the times as they fell over four seconds from Lewis Hamilton’s initial time.

Was there any incident involving Verstappen and Hamilton during Q1?

Yes, there was an incident where Verstappen had to maneuver around a slower Hamilton on the racing line, which was noted for a possible impeding infraction. However, the stewards decided no further action was necessary.

Which drivers finished at the bottom of the grid in the qualifying session?

Nico Hulkenberg finished last behind Zhou Guanyu in the other Alfa Romeo. Kevin Magnussen could only manage 18th, just ahead of Hulkenberg and Guanyu, with his sole timed lap.

Which teams/drivers were eliminated in Q1 and didn’t progress to the next session?

Nico Hulkenberg and Zhou Guanyu, who represented Alfa Romeo, and the Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nikita Mazepin were eliminated in Q1 and didn’t progress to the next qualifying session.

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8 comments

F1Fanatic July 29, 2023 - 2:57 pm

sainz n leclerc repping ferrari, awesome! can’t believe stroll’s crash messed up ricciardo n albon!

DriftKing99 July 29, 2023 - 4:55 pm

red flag drama in Q2, hulkenberg n zhou at da back! go gasly, go alpine!

SpeedDemon22 July 29, 2023 - 6:26 pm

f1 belgian gp was wild w/ all the rain! hamilton n russell mixup was messi. verstappen was quick!

CornerCutter July 29, 2023 - 10:33 pm

cool links, gonna check out the full results. go mercedes, go ferrari! spa track is tricky!

RaceTrackRacer July 30, 2023 - 3:01 am

Q1 was tense! tsunoda n bottas strugglin’, but verstappen smashed it! can’t wait for the race!

PitStopPro July 30, 2023 - 9:47 am

quali was intense, tense, and thrilling! can’t wait for the next one. f1 rocks!

RacingFan91 July 30, 2023 - 11:08 am

verstatppen winning by 0.011s is crazy! piastri also did well! lecrlc’s mistake was costy tho.

FastCarsRule July 30, 2023 - 11:15 am

mclaren’s looking strong! go norris n piastri! can verstappen win the main race too?