Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix from pole position after Red Bull’s dominant Formula One leader Max Verstappen qualified comfortably faster but dropped five places for a gearbox change.

Verstappen, who is chasing his eighth win in a row, will start sixth at a favourite circuit where last year he romped to victory from 14th on the starting grid after multiple engine penalties.

Spa is one of the better places on the calendar to take penalties as a fast and flowing track with good overtaking opportunities.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, second in the standings but already a mighty 110 points behind his teammate after 11 of 22 races, will join the Monegasque on the front row.

Mercedes seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who took the 104th pole of his career last weekend in Hungary, will start third with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at fourth place and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri fifth after leading the second Q2 phase.

Reuters