Oscar Piastri stormed to pole position in Sprint Qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, edging out McLaren team-mate Lando Norris for a front-row lockout at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Australian driver set a blistering pace in the final SQ3 session, clocking a 1m54.027s to beat Norris by just 0.011s in tricky wet conditions. Max Verstappen, the reigning champion with Red Bull, slotted into third, 0.122s adrift, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took fourth ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Piastri’s lap came amid light rain that forced teams to adapt quickly, with intermediates proving the tire of choice. “It was close, but we nailed the setup,” Piastri said after the session. “The car felt strong, and we’re in a great spot for the Sprint.”
Norris, who led SQ2, admitted a small error cost him the top spot. “I pushed hard, but Oscar was unbeatable today,” he noted.
Verstappen, chasing his fourth straight title, remained optimistic despite the gap. “Third is solid; we’ll fight back in the race,” he commented.
Further back, Mercedes’ George Russell grabbed sixth, followed by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Williams’ Alex Albon and RB’s Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the top 10.
The session saw drama in SQ1 when Haas rookie Oliver Bearman spun out, triggering a red flag. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly also struggled, exiting early in 17th.
With the Sprint race set for Saturday, McLaren’s form could shake up the championship standings, where Verstappen leads Norris by 52 points heading into this round. Full Grand Prix qualifying follows later.
