F1 qualifying in the 2025 Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps delivered drama from lights to flag. McLaren continues their dominance as Lando Norris stormed to pole ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. While the front row remains papaya, big names faltered. In a shock result, Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in Q1 after a deleted lap time.
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Surprises in Q1
Qualifying opened with tension already high after the 2025 Belgian GP Sprint. It didn’t take long for Spa to deliver chaos. Before most cars had even left the garage, Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll made contact in the pit lane. McLaren led early, with Piastri and Norris trading fastest laps, but track evolution quickly brought the midfield into play.
Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets with seven minutes left, while Mercedes rolled the dice by keeping both cars in the pits late. Norris punched in a 1:41.010 with four minutes remaining, with Piastri close behind.
The Q1 drama peaked in the final seconds. Hamilton momentarily jumped to P7 and safety with a final flyer but had his time deleted for track limits. The seven-time champ was out in Q1. Joining him on the sidelines: Franco Colapinto, Kimi Antonelli, Fernando Alonso, and Stroll.
Q2 Keeps the Tension
Verstappen went quickest early in Q2 with a 1:40.951, but the McLaren duo fired back again. Piastri ahead of Norris, both in the 1:40.6s range. Leclerc managed P4, but admitted over team radio that it was the best lap he had in him.
The final Q2 runs set up a dramatic finish. Gabriel Bortoleto clawed out of the drop zone in the final seconds, bumping out Esteban Ocon. Oliver Bearman was furious on the radio, blaming traffic and poor queue timing at the final corner for his P12 elimination.
Also out: Pierre Gasly, Hulkenberg, and Sainz. The Racing Bulls? Through to Q3!
Setting the Top 10 in Q3
George Russell set the first lap, but it was Verstappen who briefly claimed P1 with a 1:41.078 on used Softs. That didn’t last long. Piastri went faster, then Norris topped them all with a 1:40.562 to take provisional pole.
With just under five minutes in the session, everyone pitted for fresh tyres to set up a one-lap shootout. Verstappen spun the tyres at Turn 1 and couldn’t recover the lost time. Leclerc capitalized, snatching P3 with a time of 1:40.900. Albon impressed again, climbing to P5, pipping Russell. The Racing Bulls slotted into P8 for Hadjar and P9 for Lawson. Bortoletto rounded out the Top 10.
Checkered Flag: Norris on Pole
Saturday’s 2025 F1 Belgian GP Qualifying session delivered entertainment. McLaren took the front row, Leclerc showed Ferrari is still a contender, and Verstappen, fresh from his Sprint victory, kept the Red Bull team near the front with a new team principal.
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Catch the 2025 F1 Belgian GP tomorrow as the lights go out at 3:00 p.m. track time.
Feature Image Credit: EverythingF1
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