Charles Leclerc timed his best qualifying lap perfectly as he claimed pole position for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen was fastest at a very wet Spa-Francorchamps circuit, but he must take a 10-place grid penalty after exceeding his allotted number of engine replacements for the season. It means that Leclerc, who was second fastest, took pole by default — just as he did a year ago due to another Verstappen penalty.
Sergio Perez, who only scraped into Q3 by three thousandths of a second, will start in second place on the grid. The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are separated by the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen seemed a man with a point to prove in Saturday's session, which was affected by torrential early rain that led to a big crash for Lance Stroll in a stop-start FP3. The Dutchman has been described as driving "angry" in recent races after seeing his lead at the top of the driver's standings cut to 76 points ahead of this weekend's race. Although he will start in P11, he looks fully capable of getting at least on the podium if he can continue to handle the changeable conditions so well.
There was a huge twist in Hungary last time out, with McLaren's Piastri claiming a first-ever career victory ahead of team-mate Norris, who unhappily allowed the Australian to pass him under team orders. The team will be disappointed to have only managed P5 and P6 after much was expected of them this weekend.
Instead, it was Leclerc who seemed to come from nowhere to deliver at just the right time. Having won at Monaco back in May, he now has the chance to claim another victory at one of Formula One's most famous circuits.
MORE: Updated driver standings for the 2024 F1 season
F1 grid, qualifying times for Belgian Grand Prix
| Position | Driver | Team | Qual. time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:53:754 |
| 2. | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 1:53:765 |
| 3. | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:53:835 |
| 4. | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:53:981 |
| 5. | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:54:027 |
| 6. | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:54:095 |
| 7. | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:54:112 |
| 8. | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:54:258 |
| 9. | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:54:460 |
| 10. | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:54:473 |
| 11.* | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:53:159 |
| 12. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:54:635 |
| 13. | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 1:54:682 |
| 14. | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber | 1:54:764 |
| 15. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:55:716 |
| 16. | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 1:56:308 |
| 17. | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:56:500 |
| 18. | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 1:57:230 |
| 19. | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber | 1:57:775 |
| 20.** | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 1:56:593 |
** Verstappen took a 10-place grid penalty due to engine changes
**Tsunoda must start at the back of the grid due to a penalty
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Belgian F1 schedule: What time is the Grand Prix race?
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | India | |
| Date | Sunday, July 28 | Sunday, July 28 | Sunday, July 28 | Sunday, July 28 | Sunday, July 28 |
| Time | 2:00 p.m. BST | 9:00 a.m. ET | 9:00 a.m. ET | 11:00 a.m. AEST | 6:30 p.m. IST |
MORE: How does F1 points system work?
F1 Belgian qualifying live updates
End of Q3
CHARLES LECLERC SNATCHES POLE POSITION! What a final fast lap from the Ferrari! He's over half a second slower than Verstappen, but the Dutchman's grid penalty will put Leclerc on pole — just as it did here a year ago! Incredible.
2 mins to go: It's still the Red Bulls first and second. Carlos Sainz is out on fresh tyres and will give it a go with one final flying lap.
7 mins to go: Hamilton and Piastri have the front row locked out, but Perez takes a big chunk out of Hamilton's time! But here comes, Verstappen flying through the middle sector. He crosses the line well over half a second quicker than the rest.
Start of Q3
Who will come out on top?
End of Q2
Sergio Perez just scrapes through to Q3, by three thousandths of a second! Relief for Red Bull. Verstappen is quickest, ahead of the two Mercedes.
Drivers eliminated:
Lance Stroll
Valtteri Bottas
Daniel Ricciardo
Pierre Gasly
Alexander Albon
7 mins to go: Russell pits and has more intermediates put on, having complained about rear grip. Verstappen has set a new fastest time of 1:53:857. Rain seems to be getting a bit heavier, so now is the time to get a quicker lap in.
11 mins to go: A bit of light rain is falling but it's nothing like the earlier condition. George Russell looks good on the penultimate straight, but Alexander Albon is temporarily fastest. What a drive from the Williams that was!
Start of Q2
Let's see if anyone can get close to Verstappen's time. Whoever does will be on pole.
End of Q1
Verstappen is over four tenths quicker than anyone else, and the stewards are looking at an incident where Zhou Guanyu didn't seem to get out of his way on a flying lap. Remember, though, that he has a10-place grid penalty to come. Perez saves himself from another elimination with a good last lap.
Drivers eliminated:
Zhou Guanyu
Logan Sargeant
Yuki Tsunoda
Kevin Magnussen
Nico Hulkenberg
5 mins to go: Fernando Alonso is in the danger zone and needs a good lap to make it to P2. Lewis Hamilton has gone third fastest... and Alonso is one place behind him. That might be enough.
11 mins to go: Were McLaren being overly cautious with that threat of rain? It seems to be holding off for now. Piastri was the first driver to duck below 1:58:000, although Sergio Perez got very close. Max Verstappen then delivered a 1:56:003, which is a terrific time given the conditions.
15 mins to go: There's a lot of spray as Lando Norris makes his way around the track for his first flying lap. He had a brilliant FP2, but that was in the dry. Rain is expected to start falling again within the next minute...
Start of Q1
We're off and running! The rain has held off enough to allow the marshalls and ground staff to get the circuit ready. This is a long, winding track that is likely to have different spots of dry and wet tarmac. It's all about adapting quickest to the changing conditions.
15 minutes before start: Lance Stroll had a big crash during FP3, and Aston Martin's mechanics have been working flat out in a bid to get him ready for Q1. It's been an incredible effort, even if it ends up falling short.
30 minutes before start: An update on the conditions: the rain has stopped falling, at least for now, and it's likely there will be a convenient window in which to stage qualifying. Sky Sports' Nigel Chiu reports from the circuit: "The marshals are sweeping away the standing water and there are also some machines hoovering up the water, too. If we get no more rain, I think qualifying will get under way as scheduled."
45 minutes before start: Max Verstappen has handled the conditions the best so far today. He went fastest in FP3 in a session that was repeatedly delayed due to the wet weather. Verstappen will want to put in a decent time even though he is facing a 10-place grid penalty due to too many replacement engine parts.
1 hour before start: Welcome to live coverage of today's qualifying session at the iconic circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. Anyone watching the Olympics opening ceremony yesterday will not be surprised to know that it's raining here, and raining heavily.
How to watch the 2024 F1 season in the USA
ESPN's wide-reaching sporting network is showing every F1 race for US audiences in 2024, utilising Sky Sports' live broadcasts, and also showing some free-to-air circuits on ABC.
US-based F1 fans can also stream each race live using Fubo, which is offering a FREE trial right now, or use ESPN+ among other streaming options. Meanwhile, ESPN Deportes is the exclusive Spanish-language home for all F1 races in the United States.
STREAM: F1 races on ESPN+ in the US
How to watch the 2024 F1 season in Canada
- TV channel: TSN (English); RDS / Noovo (French)
- Live stream: TSN Direct
For F1 fans in Canada, TSN are providing the English-language broadcast of each race, while RDS and Noovo are doing the same for French-speaking viewers.
Races can also be streamed through TSN's own streaming service, TSN Direct.
How to watch the 2024 F1 season in the UK
- TV channel: Sky Sports F1
- Live stream: NOW TV / Sky Go app
As ever, Sky Sports' dedicated Formula One channel, Sky Sports F1, are showing all the action from every single session in 2024.
For fans planning to live stream their fill of F1 this season, you can also watch by using the Sky Go app if you're an existing subscriber, or by purchasing a Sky Sports Pass on NOW TV.
How to watch the 2024 F1 season in Australia
- TV channel: Fox Sports
- Live stream: Kayo Sports / Foxtel Go
Fox Sports will broadcast every race for Australian-based audiences in 2024.
How to watch the 2024 F1 season in India
F1 fans in India can watch each circuit on subscription service F1 TV Pro, which also offers full race highlights and replays.
The coverage will include the live broadcast of the practice and qualifying sessions, of top of the races themselves.