Lando Norris delivered a brilliant performance in Qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps to clinch pole position for the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix. Despite briefly losing the top spot to teammate Oscar Piastri in Q2, Norris bounced back with a stunning lap in Q3, clocking 1:40.562 to secure the front row start. Piastri came incredibly close, just 0.085s behind, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc improved to grab third, narrowly ahead of Max Verstappen in fourth place for Red Bull.
The session was filled with surprises and standout performances. Alex Albon impressed for Williams by qualifying fifth, beating Mercedes’ George Russell, who secured sixth. Yuki Tsunoda achieved his best-ever Red Bull qualifying position in seventh. Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls took eighth and ninth respectively, while Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top 10 for Kick Sauber. However, the Haas duo of Ocon and Bearman, strong in the Sprint earlier, were unable to progress past Q2, finishing 11th and 12th.
The drama began in Q1 when Lewis Hamilton, initially looking safe after a strong lap, had his time deleted for exceeding track limits, dropping him to 16th and knocking him out early. Others who failed to progress from Q1 included Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli (18th) and Aston Martin’s struggling duo, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who took the final two spots on the grid. Frustrations and incidents, including a pit lane clash between Hulkenberg and Stroll, added tension to the session.
In Q2, Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets with Norris close behind, but several big names failed to make the top 10. Hulkenberg, fresh from a Silverstone podium, could only manage 14th, while Carlos Sainz placed 15th for Williams. Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman both missed the cut despite their strong Sprint efforts, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was also eliminated in 13th after being bumped down late in the session.
The final segment, Q3, saw the top 10 drivers compete for pole. Norris quickly took provisional pole with a blistering time, while Piastri and Verstappen tried to respond. Verstappen reported grip issues and could only manage fourth after Leclerc’s late surge pushed him down. Piastri came close on his final attempt but couldn’t top Norris’ time. The result marked Norris’ 13th career pole and McLaren’s first at Spa since 2012, setting the stage for an exciting race on Sunday.
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