Lando Norris clinched pole position for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, following Max Verstappen’s victory in the earlier sprint race. Norris posted the quickest time during the final qualifying session, with his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finishing just 0.085 seconds behind in second place. Charles Leclerc from Ferrari secured third, while Verstappen, who won the sprint, placed fourth.
Norris’ achievement was particularly special for his mother Cisca, a Belgian native, who celebrated joyfully from the McLaren garage. Aiming for his third consecutive Grand Prix victory, Norris also made history as the first McLaren driver to secure pole at Spa-Francorchamps since Jenson Button in 2012.
Reflecting on his performance, Norris stated, “The car has been flying all weekend, and Oscar has been doing a good job too, pushing each other hard.” He added that the competition between them has highlighted their respective strengths and weaknesses, making for an intense but rewarding rivalry.
In the overall championship standings, Piastri’s lead over Norris has narrowed, now sitting at just eight points, with Verstappen trailing significantly in third, 68 points behind.
With expectations of rain on Monday (AEST), the possibility of another thrilling wet race looms, reminiscent of Norris’ recent triumph at the British Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton’s struggles continued. He faced disappointment with a qualifying position of 16th due to a disallowed lap for exceeding track limits. The prior day, he had qualified 18th for the sprint race after losing control of his car. Hamilton acknowledged the pressure of the situation, referring to it as “crunch time” in his challenging first season with Ferrari. In contrast, Yuki Tsunoda managed to secure a commendable eighth-place start, marking his best qualifying result since joining Red Bull.