Formula 1 driver Lando Norris clinches pole position in Belgium, edging out Piastri and Leclerc in qualifying races.
Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying: Norris Claims Fourth Pole Position of the Season
Lando Norris secured his fourth pole position of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Belgian Grand Prix, outpacing his team-mate Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.
The British driver, racing for McLaren, set a blistering lap time of 1:40.562 in the opening runs of Q3, a full six tenths clear of Leclerc. Piastri, who initially slotted into second place, managed to close the gap slightly, finishing just 0.085 seconds behind Norris.
Leclerc moved up to third place in Q3 with a time of 1:40.900, pushing Max Verstappen, the winner of the Sprint, down to fourth. Verstappen's final lap went awry, resulting in a slide at the exit of La Source and allowing Leclerc to move ahead.
George Russell edged his way into sixth place in Q3, just over two hundredths of a second ahead of Yuki Tsunoda. Alexander Albon claimed an excellent fifth place, while Carlos Sainz of Williams initially took second place in Q1, four hundredths of a second behind Leclerc.
However, Sainz was not the only driver to be eliminated from Q3. Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton, Franco Colapinto, Kimi Antonelli, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll will start the race in positions 11-20.
Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, and Gabriel Bortoleto will start the race ahead of the Red Bull cars due to their Q3 qualifying positions.
Norris' pole position marks a significant achievement, as no other driver is recorded as having held pole position during the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session before. The race is set to be an exciting one, with Norris aiming to extend his lead in the championship.
