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Key Points

Oscar Piastri stunned with a blistering lap to secure pole for the Spa Sprint. Verstappen and Norris followed closely but couldn't match the McLaren rookie's pace. Lewis Hamilton suffered a dramatic Q1 exit after spinning at the chicane. The stage is set for an exciting battle in Saturday's Sprint.

Key Points: Piastri Beats Verstappen and Norris in Spa Sprint Qualifying

  • Piastri edges Verstappen and Norris with 1m 40.510s lap
  • Hamilton crashes out in Q1 after high-speed spin
  • Leclerc finishes fourth but nearly a second off pace
  • Ocon impresses with fifth for Haas
2 min read

Formula 1: Piastri leads Verstappen, Norris with commanding lap in Spa Sprint Qualifying

Oscar Piastri tops Spa Sprint Qualifying ahead of Verstappen and Norris with a dominant lap, as Hamilton suffers early elimination.

"Piastri’s late flyer put him firmly on top of the timesheets. – IANS"

Stavelot

, July 25 (IANS)Oscar Piastri delivered an impressive lap to top Sprint Qualifying, clocking a 1m 40.510s to go quickest ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Norris had initially set the benchmark with a 1m 41.128s, only to be bettered by Verstappen’s 1m 40.987s. However, Piastri’s late flyer put him firmly on top of the timesheets.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was best of the rest, though nearly eight tenths off the pace. Esteban Ocon impressed for Haas by securing fifth, with teammate Oliver Bearman taking seventh. They were split by Carlos Sainz in the Williams. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly ended up eighth after a strong Q2 showing, while Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) completed the top ten.

Despite topping Q2 with a 1m 41.412s, Norris couldn’t match Piastri’s pace in the final session. Piastri himself narrowly avoided elimination, having his initial Q2 lap deleted for exceeding track limits at Eau Rouge. His follow-up time of 1m 42.169s saw him scrape into Q3, just 0.041s ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in 11th.

Joining Lawson on the sidelines were Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), George Russell (Mercedes), and Aston Martin duo Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who could only manage 14th and 15th.

The major surprise came in Q1, where Lewis Hamilton suffered a high-speed spin at the final chicane, leaving him 18th overall and out of contention early. He was joined by Alex Albon, narrowly missing the cut, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, and Kimi Antonelli. The young Mercedes driver spun at Stavelot and had to continue on damaged tyres, ultimately finishing well off the pace.

The stage is now set for Saturday’s Sprint, with Piastri leading the way.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Ananya R
Hamilton's early exit is shocking! 😲 But happy to see young talents like Piastri and Bearman performing well. F1 needs this fresh energy. Though the article could've mentioned more about Bearman's performance - he's just 18!
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Sarah B
As an F1 fan in India, I wake up at odd hours to watch these races. Verstappen-Norris-Piastri battle is worth the sleep sacrifice! Though I wish the timings were more Asia-friendly 😅
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Vikram M
The track limits controversy continues! Piastri nearly got eliminated because of it. FIA needs to be more consistent with these rules. Otherwise great racing at Spa as always.
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Karthik V
Haas getting both cars in top 7 is the real story here! Ocon proving his worth after that messy Alpine exit. Indian-owned team making us proud 💪
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Priya S
Respectfully, the article focuses too much on top teams. Would love more analysis on how Antonelli performed in his debut. He's the youngest driver this season at just 17!

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