McLaren’s Lando Norris achieved his fourth pole position of the season during the qualifying session for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, narrowly surpassing his championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri by less than a tenth of a second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc improved on his final Q3 run to secure third place, ahead of Belgium Sprint winner Max Verstappen.
Early in Q1, Norris and Piastri set the pace, with Piastri recording a time of 1:41.998, just eight hundredths of a second ahead of Norris. Verstappen, driving a Red Bull RB21 configured with higher downforce than used previously for the Sprint, posted a 1:42.066, placing him between the two McLarens.
As times continued to improve, Leclerc moved to the top of the charts with a 1:41.635, shortly followed by Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who was just four hundredths of a second behind. Norris then made a second attempt, posting a 1:41.010, which moved him six tenths faster than Leclerc. Piastri also improved, moving back into second place, just 0.191 seconds behind Norris. Verstappen stayed on track for another run, ultimately moving back into third place with a 1:41.334.
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In the lower end of the timesheet, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was unable to improve his position. His final lap secured P7 initially, but was soon deleted after exceeding track limits at Raidillon, dropping him to 16th and out of the session. Also eliminated after Q1 were Alpine’s Franco Colapinto in P17, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, and the Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
At the outset of Q2, Verstappen was the first on track, setting a provisional pole with a 1:40.951. The McLaren drivers showed increased pace, with Piastri taking the top spot early with a 1:40.626, three tenths ahead of Verstappen. Norris then moved into second, just nine hundredths behind Piastri.
Both Piastri and Norris opted to skip final laps as a precaution, while Verstappen chose to remain in the garage for his final attempt. Their positions from the initial runs held through the session. Leclerc qualified fourth, with Yuki Tsuonda in the other Red Bull finishing fifth, marking his first Q3 appearance since the Miami Grand Prix in May.
Eliminated at the end of Q2 were Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman in P11 and P12, respectively. Haas drivers followed, with Pierre Gasly and Nico Hülkenberg, along with Williams’ Carlos Sainz, dropping out in P15.
In the final Q3 session, Norris posted a 1:40.562 early on, establishing provisional pole with just under two tenths ahead of Piastri. Verstappen, with a lap of 1:41.078, qualified third but expressed concern about grip issues. These concerns were echoed by other drivers as track conditions evolved rapidly, making improvements difficult.
Verstappen’s final attempt was compromised by a slide at La Source early in the lap, allowing Charles Leclerc to advance and claim second on the grid, behind Norris.
Significant gains in the final run were made by Williams’ Alex Albon, who qualified fifth behind Verstappen. George Russell claimed sixth, narrowly ahead of Yuki Tsuonda. The starting grid features Norris on pole, with Piastri in second and Verstappen in third.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Perix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:40.562 – –
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:40.647 0.085
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:40.900 0.338
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:40.903 0.341
5 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:41.201 0.639
6 George Russell Mercedes 1:41.260 0.698
7 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:41.284 0.722
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:41.310 0.748
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:41.328 0.766
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1:42.387 1.825
11 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:41.525 0.963
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:41.617 1.055
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:41.633 1.071
14 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1:41.707 1.145
15 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:41.758 1.196
16 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:41.939 1.377
17 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1:42.022 1.460
18 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:42.139 1.577
19 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:42.385 1.823
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:42.502 1.940
Photo/LandoNorris/X
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