Oscar Piastri Claims Sprint Pole at Belgian Grand Prix

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Oscar Piastri dominated Sprint qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday, securing pole position ahead of this weekend’s race. The McLaren driver clocked a stunning lap of 1:40.510, nearly half a second clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Piastri showed impressive form at the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit, bouncing back from an earlier scare when he had a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits in SQ2. He narrowly advanced to the final qualifying segment, ultimately outperforming his teammate Lando Norris, who settled for third at 1:41.128.

All ten drivers waited until the final moments of SQ3 to post their best times. Norris was the first to set a time, initially leading with 1:41.128 before being surpassed by Verstappen. However, neither could keep pace with Piastri, who emerged as the winner in the final shootout.

“That was a good lap,” Piastri said after the session. “The car’s been mega all day… This is a track I love – it’s my favorite one of the year.” He emphasized the competitiveness ahead, noting the difficulty of defending pole position against faster rivals in the Red Bull cars.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari claimed fourth place with a time of 1:41.278, while Esteban Ocon of Haas secured the fifth position at 1:41.565. Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman completed the top seven spots, ahead of Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar, who rounded out the top ten in eighth and ninth, respectively.

Notably, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton faced a turbulent session, finishing 18th after a spin in SQ1. He stated, “That wasn’t in the plan,” reflecting on the challenges of the day. Hamilton’s shock elimination underscored the unpredictability of the qualifying session.

With Saturday’s Sprint race on the horizon, Piastri leads the pack, looking to convert his pole into a victory amidst fierce competition. “Hopefully, we can have a good day tomorrow,” he said.