Piastri Dominates Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying at Spa To Take Pole Ahead of Verstappen and Norris
McLaren’s rising star outpaces Verstappen and Norris to stay ahead in F1 2025 Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying. Mercedes and Aston Martin suffer while Haas surprises the grid with double Q3 entry.
Piastri Delivers Statement Lap for Sprint Pole
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri produced a breathtaking lap at Spa-Francorchamps to secure Sprint pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. The Australian driver clocked a stunning 1m 40.510s in SQ3, outpacing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by nearly half a second and leaving teammate Lando Norris to settle for third.
With all drivers restricted to a single set of soft tyres in the final segment of Sprint Qualifying, the top 10 contenders waited until the dying minutes for a high-stakes one-lap shootout. Norris set the early benchmark with a 1m 41.128s, but Verstappen quickly eclipsed it before Piastri unleashed a blistering lap that no one could match.
Strong Showings and Surprise Exits
Charles Leclerc secured fourth for Ferrari, albeit nearly eight-tenths off Piastri’s time, while Esteban Ocon delivered a standout performance for Haas in fifth. His teammate Oliver Bearman took seventh, separated by Carlos Sainz’s Williams in sixth. Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar, and Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.
Lewis Hamilton suffered a shock early exit in SQ1, spinning at the final chicane and ending up 18th. Youngster Kimi Antonelli also spun early in the session and finished last after nursing a damaged Mercedes with flat-spotted tyres.
Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying Drama: As It Happened
SQ1: Spins and Eliminations
Piastri topped SQ1, but spins from both Hamilton and Antonelli marred the session. Hamilton’s high-speed error at the final chicane left him out of contention, while Antonelli’s gravel excursion at Stavelot saw him impede teammate George Russell and finish 20th.
Knocked Out: Albon, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Colapinto, Antonelli
SQ2: Close Calls and Track Limits
Lando Norris led SQ2, while Piastri narrowly scraped through after his initial lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at Eau Rouge. He eventually posted a 1m 42.169s—just 0.041s ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, who missed out on the top 10.
Knocked Out: Lawson, Tsunoda, Russell, Alonso, Stroll
SQ3: Piastri’s Masterclass
With only one shot on soft tyres, Piastri laid down the lap of the session, outclassing both Verstappen and Norris. Ferrari’s Leclerc and the Haas pair rounded out a competitive top six, showing signs of resurgence heading into Saturday.
F1 2025 Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying Results (Spa-Francorchamps):
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:40.510
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:40.987
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:41.128
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:41.278
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 1:41.565
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 1:41.761
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:41.857
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1:41.959
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 1:41.971
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 1:42.176
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 1:42.169
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 1:42.184
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:42.330
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1:42.453
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 1:42.832
- Alexander Albon (Williams) – 1:43.212
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 1:43.217
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:43.408
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 1:43.587
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:45.394
Looking Ahead
The drivers now prepare for the Sprint race scheduled for Saturday at 1200 local time. With Piastri starting from the front, all eyes will be on whether he can convert pole into Sprint victory and fend off the charge from Verstappen and Norris on race day.
FAQ: Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying at Spa
Q: What time did Oscar Piastri set in Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying to secure pole position? A: Piastri clocked a stunning 1m 40.510s in SQ3 of Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying, outpacing Max Verstappen by nearly half a second to take his first Sprint pole of the 2025 season.
Q: Which drivers were eliminated in SQ1? A: Five drivers were knocked out in SQ1 of Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying: Alexander Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Lewis Hamilton (who spun at the final chicane), Franco Colapinto, and Kimi Antonelli (who finished last after spinning at Stavelot).
Q: How close was Liam Lawson to reaching SQ3 ? A: Lawson missed out on SQ3 in Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying by just 0.041 seconds, finishing 11th behind Piastri who narrowly advanced after his initial lap was deleted for track limits at Eau Rouge.
Q: What caused Lewis Hamilton’s early exit from Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying? A: Hamilton suffered a shock elimination in SQ1 of Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying after spinning at the final chicane during a high-speed moment, leaving him to qualify 18th for the Sprint race.
Q: Which teams performed surprisingly well in Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying? A: Haas delivered the biggest surprise in Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying with both Esteban Ocon (5th) and Oliver Bearman (7th) advancing to SQ3, marking a strong weekend for the team at Spa-Francorchamps.
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