Verstappen fastest, Carlos Sainz on pole

It was a very special qualifying session that we witnessed in Belgium, with no less than seven drivers penalized on the grid on Sunday. Ultra-dominant since the start of the weekend, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) dominated his subject by sticking more than 6 tenths to Carlos Sainz. But the Dutchman knew it: due to the use of a fourth engine, he will start from 15th position, ultimately leaving Carlos Sainz to inherit pole position. The Spaniard actually set the second time and dominated Sergio Perez in his duel which opposed him to the Mexican. 

We are talking about a duel, since Charles Leclerc, 4th, also had no possibility of achieving an eighth pole. The latter did not do the slightest flying lap on new tires in Q3, following what looks like a mistake. Ferrari when fitting the tires. This has no impact, however, since the Monegasque, also penalized, would surely not have been able to pick up Max Verstappen and will therefore start in 16th position just behind the Dutchman on Sunday. 

Note the superb qualification ofEsteban Ocon (Alpine), 5th and qualified just ahead of his teammate Fernando Alonso. Alpine actually outstripped both Mercedes de Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, even if Esteban Ocon, also penalized, will start from 17th position. The mission was successful, particularly with regard to Mclaren : Fernando Alonso will start in front Daniel Ricciardo, and Esteban Ocon in front Lando Norris. On the Mercedes side, Lewis Hamilton seemed stunned after learning that he was… 1”8 behind Verstappen. Great performance also from Alex Albon, qualified 9th and who will find himself 6th on the grid on Sunday in the penalty game. 

Too bad for Verstappen, who was on another planet this Saturday. © Antonin Vincent / DPPI

For his part, the French Pierre Gasly was eliminated in Q2 (12th) finishing just behind Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren). But both men will move up four positions on the grid due to the engine penalties given to both. Lance stroll (Aston Martin) and Mick Schumacher (15th) qualified in 14th and 15th position respectively, even if the Canadian will have the pleasure of starting from 9th place. 

Valtteri Bottas he was the only one to know his position even before the start of qualifying. The Finn having not exceeded the fifteen engine penalty places, he was guaranteed to start ahead of the other six penalized places. He still went out for a lap in Q1, just to give a good aspiration to Guanyu-Zhou in order to help the Chinese move into Q2. Failed braking Yuki tsunoda in the last chicane prevented the Japanese from making the cut for Q1, when Sebastian Vettel was also eliminated from Q1 by only… two thousandths, to the advantage of Mick Schumacher. Start of the Grand Prix at 15 p.m. 

The provisional grid for Sunday after application of penalties: 1. Sainz, 2. Perez, 3. Alonso, 4. Hamilton, 5. Russell, 6. Albon, 7. Ricciardo, 8. Gasly, 9. Stroll, 10. Vettel, 11. Latifs, 12. Magnussen, 13. Tsunoda, 14. Bottas, 15. Verstappen, 16. Leclerc, 17. Ocon, 18. Norris, 19. Zhou, 20. Schumacher

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