Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was fastest in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix of Formula 1 this Friday, but Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) is leaving the first position of the grid.
Replacing the engine of the world champion Red Bull implies a penalty of 15 places on the grid, so Sainz, who was second in qualifying, 0.632 seconds behind Verstappen, will take the lead.
Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) was third, 0.797 seconds back, and will be second on the grid for the race, 14 of 22, in the season scheduled for 15:00 local time (2:00 pm in Lisbon).
Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who was fourth fastest, 0.888 seconds behind Verstappen, was also penalized for changing engine and gearbox components and starts in 16th just behind the Dutchman (15th).
In addition to these two drivers, there were also British Lando Norris (McLaren), French Esteban Ocon (Alpine), German Mick Schumacher (Haas), Chinese Zhou Guanyou (Alfa Romeo) and Finn Walteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo). fined for the same reason.
Verstappen dominated throughout the weekend, being almost a second ahead of his rivals. Thus, the Red Bull driver made only one attempt in the last stage of qualifying (Q3), deciding not to go on the track for the last attempt.
“I was happy with my lap, it’s great to be here,” began Verstappen, who has only one strategy for Sunday’s race: “go forward.”
“With a car like that, it would be a shame not to be on the podium,” predicted the world champion, who for the fourth time this season set the fastest time in qualifying, finishing 17th in his career.
Leclerc, who enters this 14th race of the season in second place in the championship, 80 points behind Verstappen, believes Ferrari’s “race pace” is “better than qualifying pace”.
Mercedes is still far from the competition, with Britain’s Lewis Hamilton not surpassing the seventh best session time, 1.838 seconds behind Verstappen, followed shortly by his compatriot and teammate George Russell, who was 2.111 seconds behind the quicker.
After Sainz and Perez, Spaniards Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and Hamilton will occupy the second row of the starting grid, while George Russell and Thai Alexander Albon (Williams) will take fifth and sixth places, respectively.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
