(Stavelot) Reigning world champion Max Verstappen was quickest in qualifying, but Carlos Sainz will start ahead in the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Posted at 11:38 a.m.
Red Bull’s Verstappen is among the group of drivers who received penalties for engine changes. It will start in 15e position.
Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo received a 15 position penalty, while Verstappen, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Esteban Ocon of Alpine, Lando Norris of McLaren, Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo and Mick Schumacher , de Haas, were relegated to the back of the grid.
Ferrari’s Sainz finished second in qualifying on Saturday, more than six-tenths of a second behind Verstappen, but will therefore start on Sunday. He will have Red Bull driver Sergio Perez alongside him on the front row.
The second row will be made up of Fernando Alonso of Alpine and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
Williams driver Alex Albon caused a surprise by reaching the third stage of qualifying. He finished ninth, but will start sixth, alongside Mercedes’ George Russell.
Quebec driver Lance Stroll, of Aston Martin, was eliminated in Q2, but will eventually start in ninth position. He will have his teammate Sebastian Vettel at his side.
Ontario’s Nicholas Latifi of Williams will start in 11e position.
F1 is back in action after its summer break. Verstappen sits atop the drivers’ standings, 80 points ahead of Leclerc.
Verstappen was relegated in 15e position on the starting grid, but has demonstrated that he is the fastest on the legendary circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. Leclerc will start in 16e position.