Verstappen 0.8s clear in Belgian GP qualifying but penalty puts Leclerc on pole

Friday’s delayed qualifying started in wet conditions with the field on intermediates before drying out mid-way through Q2, enabling the drivers to switch onto slick tyres for the remainder of the session. 

• F1 2023 Belgian Grand Prix - Qualifying Results

A sensational lap from the reigning world champion put him 0.820s clear of nearest challenger Leclerc, but a five-place penalty for exceeding his gearbox allocation for the season means Verstappen will drop to sixth for Sunday’s main grand prix. 

Verstappen’s penalty sees Leclerc, who sat on provisional pole prior to the Red Bull driver’s mega final lap, promoted to the very front of the grid at Spa-Francorchamps.

Leclerc will be joined on the front row by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who was third-quickest, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who produced the fastest final sector of anyone to set the fourth-fastest time. 

Carlos Sainz was fifth-fastest but will jump up to the second row for Sunday, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri set to start fifth as the last driver to gain from Verstappen’s penalty. 

Piastri edged out McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who will start seventh ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who completed the top-10. 

Daniel Ricciardo will start only 19th for Sunday’s grand prix after paying the price for exceeding track limits and having his best lap time - which was good enough for sixth - deleted. 

The returning AlphaTauri driver was ahead of only Nico Hulkenberg, who ended up slowest of all for Haas in 20th.