Formula 1. Lando Norris in McLaren to start from pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix
Britain's Lando Norris will start Sunday's Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix from pole position after setting the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
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Norris finished ahead of his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri (McLaren) in qualifying, who had taken pole position for the sprint race on Friday. Photo Sipa / Eibner-Pressefoto/Alexander Neis
Pole position goes to Lando Norris . The British driver (McLaren) will start Sunday's Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix from pole position after setting the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Norris finished ahead of his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri (McLaren), who had taken pole for the sprint race on Friday, Monaco's Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), winner of the sprint a few hours earlier .
“Ready to fight for victory”The Englishman, who is nine points behind his garage neighbour in the world championship standings, secured his 13th career pole position and fourth this season, the same total as Piastri and Verstappen.
"I'm very happy, it was a good lap. We had some concerns after Friday's race, but we turned things around. I'd prefer dry weather tomorrow (Sunday), but whatever the weather, I'll be ready to give it my all and fight for the win," Norris explained.
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Leclerc, fourth in the sprint, snatched third place on the grid from under Verstappen's nose, while Thailand's Alexander Albon (Williams) caused a surprise by setting the fifth fastest time, just ahead of Britain's George Russell (Mercedes) and Japan's Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull).
The Top 10 is completed by three novices, the Frenchman Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), his New Zealand teammate Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber).
The big surprise of these qualifying sessions was the elimination of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) in Q1. Already 18th in Friday's sprint qualifying session, the Briton moved up to 16th on Saturday after seeing his fastest time invalidated for going outside the track limits on the Raidillon. Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), who also failed to qualify on Friday by finishing last, repeated the feat on Saturday, setting only the 18th fastest time.
Unlike Friday, the other two French drivers did not reach Q3. Esteban Ocon (Haas), a surprising fifth on the grid and in the sprint, missed out by just two hundredths of a second and will start in 11th position, while Pierre Gasly (Alpine), who was unable to start the sprint after a hydraulic problem, set the 13th fastest time in qualifying and will struggle to score points on Sunday, unless rain reshuffles the cards.
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