Charles Leclerc inherits a second pole position of the year, while Max Verstappen and Kevin Magnussen take grid penalties. Here’s how the grid lines up for the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix!
POLE: CHARLES LECLERC | 1:46.988
A Ferrari driver inherits pole at the Belgian Grand Prix for the second year in succession. This is Charles Leclerc’s second pole position of the 2023 season and the 20th pole of his career. At the track he took his first victory in 2019, he’s searching for his first win since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
2nd: SERGIO PEREZ | 1:47.045
Sergio Perez makes his first front row start since the Miami Grand Prix. He also started second last year and finished where he started, recording his first Belgian Grand Prix podium. Perez is looking for his first top two finish since Miami.
3rd: LEWIS HAMILTON | 1:47.087
Lewis Hamilton’s run of seven consecutive Spa podiums ended in 2022 with a first lap retirement. Starting third, Hamilton is in a good position to challenge for a record-extending 11th Belgian Grand Prix podium.
4th: CARLOS SAINZ | 1:47.152
Both Ferraris start the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix in the top four. Carlos Sainz started from pole position last year but could finish only third. He’s still waiting for his first podium finish of the year.
5th: OSCAR PIASTRI | 1:47.365
Another strong qualifying showing from Oscar Piastri at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, who out-qualified team-mate Lando Norris for the first time since the second round of the season. A third consecutive top five finish in the Grand Prix would be a solid result for the rookie.
6th: MAX VERSTAPPEN | 1:46.168
5 PLACE GRID PENALTY FOR CHANGE OF GEARBOX
Max Verstappen was comfortably fastest in qualifying for the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, securing the fastest qualifying lap time by 0.820 seconds – the largest margin at the track since 2002. Verstappen won at Spa from 14th last year and is currently on a seven race winning streak. The grid penalty is a slight setback, but he’ll likely be running up front once again before too long!
7th: LANDO NORRIS | 1:47.669
Lando Norris has scored points only once previously at the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing seventh in 2020. He recorded his best Spa qualifying result this year with seventh place, after qualifying tenth in each of the last three years. Given McLaren’s recent upturn in form, Norris will be hoping to gain a few places in Sunday’s race.
8th: GEORGE RUSSELL | 1:47.805
George Russell has finished in the top four at the Belgian Grand Prix in each of the last two seasons – but finished second and fifth for those races. Can he make up some places in 2023?
9th: FERNANDO ALONSO | 1:47.843
Fernando Alonso equals his worst 2023 qualifying result for the second consecutive race weekend. The Spaniard has never won the Belgian Grand Prix, with last year’s fifth place marking his first top five result at Spa in F1 since 2013.
10th: LANCE STROLL | 1:48.841
Lance Stroll reached Q3 at the Belgian Grand Prix for only the second time in his career. The Canadian last picked up a point in Belgium in 2020, despite starting ninth last year.
11th: YUKI TSUNODA | 1:53.148
Yuki Tsunoda recorded AlphaTauri’s best qualifying result since his Q3 appearance in Monaco. This was the first time he made it through to Q2 at the Belgian Grand Prix. He’s never previously scored at the track.
12th: PIERRE GASLY | 1:53.671
For the third time in the last four years, Pierre Gasly qualified 12th for the Belgian Grand Prix – though this will be only the second time he actually starts 12th. The Frenchman has a 100% points scoring rate at the track, including from three starts from 12th or further back.
13th: VALTTERI BOTTAS | 1:54.694
Valtteri Bottas out-qualified his team-mate at the Belgian Grand Prix for the first time since 2016. He hasn’t picked up points at Spa since finishing as runner-up in 2020.
14th: ESTEBAN OCON | 1:56.372
Esteban Ocon recorded his worst qualifying result of the year with 15th but moves up one position on the grid to 14th. Ocon has scored points on every appearance at Spa, except on his first appearance with Manor in 2016.
15th: ALEX ALBON | 2:00.314
Alex Albon has never previously failed to score on any of his three appearances at the Belgian Grand Prix – though points could be a difficult target this year from 15th on the grid.
16th: KEVIN MAGNUSSEN | 1:54.160
3 PLACE GRID PENALTY FOR IMPEDING
After picking up a three-place grid penalty for impeding eventual polesitter Charles Leclerc, Kevin Magnussen starts 16th at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. The Dane has scored only once previously at Spa, finishing eighth in 2018.
17th: ZHOU GUANYU | 2:00.832
Zhou Guanyu finished 14th on his first Belgian Grand Prix appearance in 2022. Points don’t seem like a high likelihood Zhou, given that the former Sauber team have picked up only two points at Spa in the last 12 seasons.
18th: LOGAN SARGEANT | 2:01.535
Despite a late start to his session due to a change of gearbox, Logan Sargeant was able to set the 18th fastest time in qualifying for the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. The American’s search for his first Formula 1 points continues.
19th: DANIEL RICCIARDO | 2:02.159
Daniel Ricciardo starts the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix from 19th, which is also where he started on his last appearance at the track with the Red Bull junior team in 2013. He finished tenth in that race.
PIT LANE: NICO HULKENBERG | 2:03.166
For the first time since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg set the slowest qualifying time. Starting from the pit lane after changing his power unit and gearbox, Hulkenberg should be able to make up multiple positions in the Grand Prix – something he hasn’t done since April’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
