Lando Norris stormed to pole position at Spa-Francorchamps with a composed and commanding lap in the final seconds of a dramatic qualifying session. His 1:40.562 sealed the top spot by just 0.075 seconds over teammate Oscar Piastri, giving McLaren a front-row lockout in conditions that caught several rivals out.
As the track temperature climbed past 40°C in Q3, grip levels became unpredictable. Many teams struggled to balance tyre performance with evolving wind and asphalt temperatures, but Norris looked in control throughout the top 10 shootout.
Piastri had held the edge across Friday and Saturday, but Norris struck when it counted. The Brit was up on Verstappen’s first and second sector times and held the lap together despite a drop in rear grip through Stavelot and Blanchimont.
McLaren’s performance wasn’t just one-lap speed. Both drivers used only one set of tyres in Q1 and Q2, preserving the firepower needed to dominate the final phase.
Verstappen off the pace as setup gamble bites
Max Verstappen looked in the mix early on, but a switch to a higher-downforce rear wing for qualifying reduced his usual first-sector advantage. While the setup change helped through Les Combes and Bruxelles, he gave up three tenths down the Kemmel Straight.
Verstappen still managed to improve on his second Q3 run, but could only secure fourth behind Charles Leclerc, who delivered a clean final lap to snatch third by 0.225 seconds over the Red Bull. Verstappen’s best time, a 1:40.951, left him nearly four tenths off pole.
Red Bull had chosen to carry an extra set of soft tyres into Saturday, sacrificing FP1 running to give Verstappen two new sets for Q3. But even on fresh rubber, he couldn’t extract the grip the McLarens found.
Sector analysis tells the story
The sector splits exposed the performance traits of each car. Norris and Piastri gained heavily in sector one and through the fast corners of sector two. Verstappen’s downforce-heavy setup gave him time in the middle of the lap but left him vulnerable at the start and end.
Leclerc, by contrast, put together a balanced lap across all three sectors. He wasn’t fastest in any one mini-sector, but pieced together enough personal bests to squeeze into P3.
George Russell briefly held P5 before Albon stole it with a late flyer for Williams, threading the needle through the final chicane after dipping a wheel into the gravel on his penultimate attempt. It was another reminder of Albon’s Spa confidence after a strong showing in Sprint Qualifying.
Yuki Tsunoda leads midfield charge
Yuki Tsunoda took seventh in what was his best qualifying since Miami, delivering a strong lap under pressure as the final seconds ticked away. Isack Hadjar in eighth with another strong performance, getting his Racing Bulls once again into Q3. Liam Lawson made good on his Q2 pace to qualify ninth, while Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10. The Brazilian rookie lost a lap to track limits and had a messy final run but it was another strong performance from him
Q2 drama: Sainz stumbles, Bearman close
Carlos Sainz was the biggest name to fall in Q2, unable to improve on his final run and ending up 15th. Esteban Ocon missed Q3 by less than a tenth, and Ollie Bearman also fell short, ending up 12th after a mid-corner snap at Pouhon forced him wide.
Pierre Gasly and Nico Hülkenberg were both in the mix but didn’t have enough pace over the second sector to break into the top 10.
Russell only narrowly escaped Q2, jumping to sixth with a time that faded in the final sector. Both Racing Bulls timed their runs well to catch the best of the track evolution, while Verstappen skipped the final Q2 run entirely to save tyres.
Q1 shock: Hamilton out again
For the second consecutive day, Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1. He had briefly hauled himself out of the drop zone with a clean final lap, only for it to be deleted moments later for track limits at Raidillon. That left him 16th and out, just 0.012 seconds from scraping through.
Franco Colapinto, Kimi Antonelli, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll joined him. Antonelli’s promising Friday form faded as he aborted his final run and tumbled down the order. Alonso was stuck in traffic and couldn’t improve. Stroll failed to get a clean lap together and finished last.
Top 10 – 2025 Belgian GP Qualifying:
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Charles Leclerc
- Max Verstappen
- Alex Albon
- George Russell –
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Isack Hadjar
- Liam Lawson
- Gabriel Bortoleto
Eliminated in Q2:
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Ollie Bearman
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Nico Hülkenberg
15. Carlos Sainz
Eliminated in Q1:
16. Lewis Hamilton
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Kimi Antonelli
19. Fernando Alonso
20. Lance Stroll
Spa’s long lap always delivers a mixed grid, many expected McLaren to lock out the front row but will be surprised to see sprint winner Verstappen relegated to fourth. Sunday’s forecast remains uncertain, with rain still possible. If conditions turn, setup may well prove to be the key factor.
But on Saturday, it was Norris’ day. A clean lap under pressure, and a reminder that the title fight might not be as settled as it looked to be just yesterday after Oscar’s domination in the sprint qualyfying.