Max Verstappen dominated the sprint at Spa-Francorchamps, but a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding engine allocations leaves him starting qualifying from 11th. His Red Bull team boss Christian Horner praised the Dutchman’s pace, saying it showed the car’s true potential despite the setback. “Max was untouchable today,” Horner noted. “We’re focused on damage limitation tomorrow.” Teammate Sergio Perez, who finished seventh in the sprint, called it a “tough session” but remains optimistic about race strategy.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured pole in qualifying, edging out teammate Lando Norris for a front-row lockout. Team principal Andrea Stella highlighted the upgrades paying off in the wet conditions. “This is a massive boost,” Stella said. “Both drivers extracted everything from the car.” Piastri himself admitted the lap felt “on the edge,” while Norris rued a small mistake that cost him the top spot.
At Ferrari, Charles Leclerc qualified third, with Carlos Sainz in fifth. Team boss Fred Vasseur described the session as “solid but not perfect,” pointing to tyre management as key for the race. Leclerc echoed that, saying, “We’re in the fight, but McLaren looks strong.” Sainz added the sprint exposed some balance issues they’ll address overnight.
Mercedes struggled, with Lewis Hamilton in seventh and George Russell ninth. Toto Wolff admitted the car lacked grip in qualifying. “Not our best day,” he said. “We’ll push hard from there.” Hamilton, in his final Mercedes season before joining Ferrari, called it “frustrating” but vowed to battle through the field.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso took sixth, pleased with the result amid upgrades. “A step forward,” he said. Team principal Mike Krack agreed, noting better aero efficiency helped in the variable weather.
Further back, Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished 12th and 15th. Team boss Ayao Komatsu said the sprint data would inform setup tweaks, while Hulkenberg lamented traffic hindering his quali lap.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon qualified 13th and 14th. Sporting director Alan Permane called it a “missed opportunity” in mixed conditions, with Gasly adding the car felt unpredictable.
RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo ended up 16th and 10th. Team boss Laurent Mekies praised Ricciardo’s recovery from a poor sprint, saying, “He’s got the fight for points.”
Williams had a tough outing, with Alex Albon 17th and Franco Colapinto 18th. James Vowles noted setup experiments didn’t pay off, but Albon remains hopeful for race pace.
Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas rounded out the grid in 19th and 20th. Team rep Alessandro Alunni Bravi said reliability issues compounded their quali woes, with Bottas calling it “a day to forget.”
