Oscar Piastri claimed a dominant pole in the sprint qualifying in Spa from Max Verstappen by nearly half a second. The Australian driver would’ve been out in second part of sprint qualifying. However, he put in an impressive lap when it was needed. Norris, who was looking like a favorite for pole after SQ2, could only make it to P3.

The fourth driver in the sprint quali was Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. The next driver was Esteban Ocon, who was over a second away from the lead. The next driver behind him was Sainz and Ollie Bearman. The final three drivers of SQ3 were Pierre Gasly, Isaac Hadjar, and Gabriel Bortoleto.

The Belgian GP sprint qualifying saw some front-runners get knocked out even before they got to SQ3. It will be interesting to see how these drivers will fare tomorrow in the Belgian GP Sprint. In stark contrast, the teams that made it to the final part of qualifying will love some points. Let’s look into the review of the sprint qualifying in Spa.

Lewis Hamilton out in SQ1

The first part of Belgian GP sprint qualifying saw some surprising exits. Lewis Hamilton was the big name who locked up his brakes in the final corner and couldn’t make it out of SQ1. Another surprise exit was that of Antonelli in the Mercedes. After washing out his tires in his initial lap, he couldn’t get in the lap needed to get out of this session.

Alex Albon continues his miserable run after finishing 16th in the session. If Hamilton hadn’t brought out the yellow flag, the Thai driver would’ve made it out. Apart from this, the British GP podium finisher, Nico Hulkenberg, also couldn’t make it out after being impeded in his buildup for the lap. Franco Colapinto is a common fixture in the exits of the first part of qualifying, so this wasn’t much of a surprise.

Russell knocked out in SQ2

The SQ2 session in the Belgian GP sprint didn’t have both the drivers who took pole in the past 2 sprint qualifying. There were several surprises in the session as well, and it started with Piastri’s lap getting cancelled. The Australian squeezed into the final part of qualifying in 10th place.

The big surprise was the elimination of George Russell. When he set his lap, it looked like a good lap; however, rapid track evolution meant that the other cars got better track conditions. He was accompanied by Yuki Tsunoda and Isaac Hadjar out of the SQ2 in Spa. Apart from this, both Aston Martins also got out of SQ2 in the Spa Francorchamps circuit.

Piastri On Pole in Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying

Oscar Piastri claimed an amazing pole in the sprint in Spa. After two consecutive weekends of not winning, this was a much-needed pole for the driver in his championship hunt. Verstappen split both the McLarens, and it’ll be fascinating how things stand. Bearman and Gasly may get a penalty for not slowing under yellow flags.

Tentative Starting Grid for 2025 Belgian GP Sprint

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)  
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
6. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
7. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
11. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
12. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
13. George Russell (Mercedes)
14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
16. Alex Albon (Williams)
17. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
18. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
19. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
20. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)