McLaren’s Oscar Piastri delivered a stunning performance today, securing pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race.
The championship leader was a significant 0.477 seconds quicker than Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and 0.618 seconds ahead of teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri, despite a deleted lap in Q2, consistently showed strong pace. “The car has been mega all day,” he said, pleased with his “good lap.” Norris admitted he wasn’t “quick enough,” acknowledging the “big gap to the top.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took fourth, but Lewis Hamilton had a disastrous session, starting 18th after mistakes and a spin.
Hamilton, “massively frustrated,” cited ongoing issues with his Ferrari. Mercedes also struggled, with George Russell in 13th and Kimi Antonelli 19th after spins.
In a surprise, Esteban Ocon (Haas) secured fifth, with teammate Oliver Bearman in seventh.
Piastri holds an eight-point championship lead over Norris heading into tomorrow’s sprint race, but will be wary of Verstappen’s threat on the opening lap.
