Qualifying Report & Results 2025 Belgian F1 Grand Prix

Event: Belgian Grand Prix
Track: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit

Weather: dry  22°C
Tarmac: dry  36°C
Humidity : 55%
Wind : 2.8 km/h

Lando Norris scored his 13th F1 pole position today. The McLaren driver will start from P1 at Sunday's 2025 Belgian F1 Grand Prix for the 1st time at Spa. It was the fourth pole of the season for the British driver and the 250th pole for the Ferrari team.

Norris Takes Pole at Spa as Practice Drama Sets Up Thrilling Belgian GP

McLaren leads the charge into Sunday’s race as Verstappen and Leclerc lurk — and rain could flip the script entirely.

Friday Warm-Up: Spa’s Set-up Showdown Begins

The Belgian Grand Prix weekend kicked off at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps with teams facing a high-stakes balancing act. Practice 1 quickly revealed the main theme of the weekend: downforce dilemma. Red Bull arrived with a skinny rear wing, clearly gunning for straight-line speed, while McLaren leaned toward more grip through Spa’s legendary corners.

Ferrari, meanwhile, brought a revised rear suspension setup to complement their Austrian floor upgrade. But with limited practice time during this Sprint weekend, their long-run pace remained an enigma.

Mercedes looked promising early on, with George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli showing competitive pace. But that optimism unravelled during Sprint Qualifying, when Antonelli lost the rear through Raidillon, destroying his floor and Russell ran over the debris, damaging his own car. Both drivers finished the Sprint empty-handed.

Saturday Sprint Recap: Verstappen Unleashes Red Bull Pace

Saturday's Sprint offered the first real taste of competitive action, and it was Max Verstappen who delivered. Starting P2, the Dutchman used his low-drag setup and a handy slipstream to out-drag pole-sitter Oscar Piastri on the Kemmel Straight. Once in the lead, Verstappen showed supreme control, holding off the McLaren duo despite the lack of DRS.

Piastri and Norris followed in close formation, but neither could mount a serious challenge to the reigning champion — though they remained McLaren’s strongest Sprint showing yet.

Qualifying Day: High Drama & Higher Stakes

Q1: Shocks and Struggles

Qualifying on Saturday brought with it both overcast skies and surprising exits. The long Spa lap meant traffic management was tricky, and track limits were fiercely enforced.

Lewis Hamilton looked to have saved himself from the drop zone with a solid final lap — only to have it deleted for running wide at Raidillon. The seven-time champ dropped to P16 and was joined by Colapinto, Antonelli, Alonso, and Stroll in the Q1 casualty list.

Antonelli’s early form vanished into the gravel, while Alonso and Stroll struggled with grip and traffic.

Q2: Midfield Mayhem and a Bearman Slide

With Verstappen and the McLarens comfortably advancing, the midfield battle intensified. Russell put in a late flyer to sneak into Q3, but it was heartbreak for Bearman, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Ocon, and Sainz.

Bearman, impressing on used rubber, had a huge moment at Pouhon, compromising his run. Hulkenberg, pushing hard, tagged wheels with Stroll in the pit lane earlier — an incident that will be investigated. The German’s lap wasn’t enough, despite a brand-new front wing.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz never looked at ease, and his exit in P15 capped a difficult session for the Scuderia.

Q3: McLaren vs Verstappen – Again

Tension was high as Q3 began under warming track conditions. Verstappen, initially on used tyres, went fastest in the opening runs, but it was clear the McLarens had more in the tank.

On fresh rubber, Oscar Piastri lit up the timing sheets and momentarily held provisional pole. But then came Lando Norris. The Brit strung together a near-perfect lap, clocking a 1m40.562s — edging his team mate by just under a tenth.

Leclerc delivered a stunner to snatch P3, just 0.003s ahead of Verstappen. The top four were split by less than four-tenths, but Norris had the edge.

Behind them, Albon produced a brilliant lap to secure P5, sharing row three with Russell. Tsunoda and Hadjar locked out row four, with Lawson and rookie sensation Gabriel Bortoleto rounding out the top 10.

Quotes from the Front

Lando Norris

“Happy with the lap, and the car’s felt strong all weekend. Oscar and I are pushing each other hard, which is great for the team. I’d prefer it to stay dry — let’s see.”

Oscar Piastri

“Bit disappointed, to be honest. I made a mistake at Turn 14 and that cost me. There was more in it, but not a bad place to start.”

Charles Leclerc

“Very happy. Surprising to be this close, honestly. The upgrades are finally starting to gel with the car. That lap felt amazing.”

Max Verstappen

[Team radio, calmly] “Couldn’t do more with this setup.”

Forecast for Sunday: Chaos Incoming?

While Saturday stayed dry, Sunday is another story. Forecasts put the chance of rain at 40% — and Spa’s weather is famously unpredictable. Patches of rain are expected throughout the morning, and if they slow down, they could drench the circuit mid-race.

A wet race would be a lifeline for out-of-position drivers like Hamilton (starting P16) and Antonelli. And let’s not forget what Hulkenberg pulled off in similar conditions at Silverstone — tyre strategy will be everything.

What to Watch for Tomorrow

• Norris vs Piastri: Can Lando convert pole into a third straight win — or will Oscar strike back?

• Verstappen's Launch: Max starts fourth, with Leclerc alongside. Will that higher-downforce setup help or hurt?

• Ferrari’s Race Pace: Can their new suspension help them stay competitive across 44 laps?

• Albon & the Bulls: Albon in P5 and both Racing Bulls in the top 10 could be surprise point scorers.

• Rain Roulette: If it rains, throw your predictions out the window.

Lights Out at 15:00 Local Time

Spa rarely disappoints — and with the possibility of rain, a tight front pack, and Hamilton looking for redemption from deep in the field, the stage is set for an epic 2025 Belgian Grand Prix.

Buckle up. Spa is about to do what Spa does best: deliver the unexpected.

Qualifying Times 2025 Belgian GP

✅ Check out our 2025 Belgian F1 Grand Prix Preview.

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