Lando Norris on pole, Hamilton out early in F1 Belgian GP.
Lando Norris secured pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, with his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri starting alongside him. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 for the first time with Ferrari due to track limit violations.
In the sprint race, Piastri lost the lead to Max Verstappen on the first lap, who went on to win. Piastri aims to bounce back after Norris won the previous British Grand Prix, with Piastri's championship lead now at nine points.
Red Bull replaced team principal Christian Horner with Laurent Mekies. Max Verstappen stated that Horner's exit would not affect his future with Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso continued his dominance over Lance Stroll, who faced challenges in qualifying. Charles Leclerc's appearance on the qualifying podium was unexpected but welcomed news for Ferrari.
Norris expressed satisfaction with his pole position, highlighting the competitive spirit between him and Piastri. Piastri, although disappointed with his performance, acknowledged the fine margins in qualifying.
The top-10 shootout saw Norris clinch pole position, with notable performances from Alex Albon and Williams. Verstappen expressed frustration over his final flying lap, attributing it to tire issues.
Norris's pole position sets up an exciting battle for the race start, with Piastri narrowly missing out. Leclerc's impressive lap time surpassed Verstappen's, adding to the competition.
In the final moments of qualifying, Norris improved his time to secure pole position ahead of Verstappen and Piastri. The session ended with Norris leading the grid, followed by Verstappen, Leclerc, and Piastri.
The qualifying session concluded with Norris setting the fastest lap time, followed by Verstappen and Piastri. The top five positions were completed by Leclerc and George Russell.
The 12-minute shootout in Q3 determined the front of the grid for the grand prix, with Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen in contention. Some drivers missed out on advancing to Q3, while others, like Bortoleto, impressed by making it to the final session.