Carlos Sainz will start on pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix with F1 qualifying pacesetter Max Verstappen carrying a grid penalty.
F1 championship leader Verstappen was untouchable in qualifying, but the Red Bull driver will take a grid penalty for changing his engine and start 15th.
Verstappen’s blistering lap left him more 0.632s clear of Sainz, who failed to improve on his final run in Q3 after dipping his wheels into the gravel, though the Spaniard will still take pole.
Sergio Perez was third-quickest but will move up to the front-row of the grid for Sunday’s grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
Charles Leclerc ended up fourth but also has a grid penalty for exceeding his power unit allocation and will therefore drop to 16th, directly behind his title rival.
More to follow…