F1 Belgian GP: Oscar Piastri recovers to power to sprint race pole from Max Verstappen

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri recovered from an early scare to take the sprint race pole at Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The championship leader scraped through in SQ2 due to a deleted lap time, but then set a 1m40.510s in the final segment of sprint qualifying to put almost five tenths on Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Lando Norris a massive six tenths behind in third.

“Sorry for the heart attack,” Piastri told his team over the radio. “That wasn’t in the plan, but the car was mega.”

Charles Leclerc claimed fourth for Ferrari, while Esteban Ocon excelled for Haas by taking fifth on the sprint grid.

Carlos Sainz was sixth for Williams ahead of the second Haas of Oliver Bearman and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto completed a top 10 that saw several heavy hitters miss out.

McLaren’s Norris and Piastri ventured out early for a banker lap in SQ2, which was delayed to clean up gravel, though the latter’s time was crucially deleted for track limits at the top of the Raidillon.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

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That meant Verstappen momentarily got in front, with Norris taking over the segment lead with his second lap, a 1m41.412s effort.

Piastri almost paid a huge price for his deleted lap, with his second attempt only good enough to scrape through to SQ3 in 10th, by just 0.041s.

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson was the first to be eliminated in 11th, followed by Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull. Instead of Piastri, the biggest victim was Mercedes’ George Russell, who went out unceremoniously in 13th.

The Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll only managed 14th and 15th, while Sauber’s Bortoleto and Alpine’s Gasly were the stars of the session in fifth and sixth.

Piastri led the early runs in SQ1 from Verstappen and Norris, with a 1m41.769s, as drivers scrambled to avoid the back of the grid.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli suffered a spin on the exit of Stavelot, heading through the gravel but escaping without apparent damage.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton also had a big moment on his first run, meaning he and Antonelli were two of five drivers in danger of being knocked out, alongside Gasly, Franco Colapinto and Bearman, who aborted his lap.

But neither driver’s fortunes improved on run two, with a frustrated Hamilton spinning at the Bus Stop chicane after his rear tyres instantly locked under braking, seeing the seven-time world champion knocked out in 18th.

Gasly saved himself in 15th at the expense of Williams’ Alex Albon, while Nico Hulkenberg was down in 17th after having to fight for track position with Lawson. Behind Hamilton, Colapinto was out in 19th with Antonelli last after reporting brake issues.