**Verstappen Claims P1 in Belgium Qualifying but Will Start from P11, Leclerc to Inherit Pole**
Max Verstappen set the fastest time in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, but due to a 10-place grid penalty for a power unit change, he will start from P11. As a result, Charles Leclerc will start the race from pole position.
Verstappen impressed with a lap time of 1:53.159 in his Red Bull, half a second ahead of Ferrari’s Leclerc. Sergio Perez secured P3 for Red Bull, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in P4. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took P5 and P6 respectively, while Mercedes’ George Russell finished in P7.
Carlos Sainz of Ferrari claimed P8, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin took P9, and Esteban Ocon of Alpine rounded out the top 10.
Other notable performances include Alex Albon narrowly missing Q3 in P11 and Pierre Gasly finishing P12. Daniel Ricciardo placed 13th, followed by Valtteri Bottas in 14th and Lance Stroll in 15th. The Haas drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, had a disappointing session, finishing 16th and 17th, respectively. Yuki Tsunoda, Logan Sargeant, and Zhou Guanyu completed the field in P18, P19, and P20.
**Q1 Highlights:**
In wet conditions, Oscar Piastri was the fastest, while the Haas drivers and Yuki Tsunoda were eliminated. Russell narrowly avoided elimination, surging to third.
**Q2 Highlights:**
Verstappen set a benchmark time, and Perez just made it through to Q3, pushing Albon out by three thousandths of a second. Gasly, Ricciardo, Bottas, and Stroll also failed to make it to Q3.
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