World champion Max Verstappen once again showcased his prowess by securing pole victory ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in a thrilling wet and dry shootout at Spa-Francorchamps during the highly-anticipated Belgium Grand Prix.
Despite a chaotic wet start, Verstappen managed to recover and surpass Piastri’s time by a mere 0.011s. This crucial win on Saturday earned him an additional 118 points in the standings.
The race faced challenges with heavy downpours, resulting in a reduction from 15 laps to 11, and the sprint shootout was delayed by 35 minutes due to the wet track conditions.
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly secured a podium finish in third place, closely followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, while his teammate Charles Leclerc finished in sixth.
In a twist of events, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton faced traffic and ended up in the seventh spot, while Alpha Tauri’s Ricciardo experienced a similar fate after Lance Stroll’s crash triggered red flags. Hamilton received a 5-second penalty for causing a collision that forced Perez to retire from the race.
As Verstappen gears up for Sunday’s showdown, he aims for an eighth-record victory but will have to start from the sixth spot on the grid due to a 5-grid penalty. Despite the challenges, the stage is set for an action-packed race at the Belgium GP.
