Lando Norris delivered a commanding performance to secure pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, leading a McLaren front-row lockout at the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The British driver edged teammate Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.085 seconds in a dramatic qualifying session that showcased McLaren’s current competitive form.
Norris’s achievement stood in stark contrast to Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s disappointing session, where the seven-time champion was eliminated in Q1 after having his best lap deleted for exceeding track limits. Hamilton described his performance as “unacceptable” and apologized to his team for what he called a “very, very poor performance.”
The qualifying battle saw Norris set the benchmark early in Q3 with a time of 1:40.562, maintaining his advantage even as Piastri mounted a strong challenge on the final runs. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured third on the grid, while Max Verstappen qualified fourth for Red Bull after having won Saturday’s sprint race.
Earlier in the day, Verstappen had demonstrated his racing prowess by claiming victory in the sprint event. The Dutch driver executed a bold move on the opening lap, using the slipstream on the Kemmel Straight to pass Piastri and take a lead he would maintain to the checkered flag. Norris completed the sprint podium in third position.
The result marked a positive start for Red Bull’s new team leadership, with Laurent Mekies overseeing his first race weekend in charge. The team had opted for a different aerodynamic configuration for qualifying, sacrificing some straight-line speed that had proven advantageous in the sprint race.
With rain forecast for Sunday’s main event, the stage is set for a potentially dramatic Belgian Grand Prix, where strategy and weather management could prove decisive in the outcome.
