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Belgian GP
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Belgian GP
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2023 Formula 1 Belgian GP
Jul 27, 2023 to Jul 30, 2023
| Spa-Francorchamps, BE
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Formula 1 Belgian GP
F1 Belgian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & Qualifying
Friday's action from the 12th round of the 2023 Formula 1 season
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Summary
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Summary
- Verstappen tops qualifying and will start from P6 after a five-place gearbox penalty is applied
- Leclerc will start from pole position with Perez also on the front row
- Ricciardo suffered a Q1 exit after exceeding track limits and losing his best time
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Leaderboard - Q3
- Max Verstappen - Red Bull [+5 place penalty]
- Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
- Sergio Perez - Red Bull
- Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
- Carlos Sainz - Ferrari
- Oscar Piastri - McLaren
- Lando Norris - McLaren
- George Russell - Mercedes
- Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
- Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
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Checkered flag
12:39:15 pm
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With Belgian GP qualifying in the books, we'll call time on this live coverage for the day. Never fear, the F1 action resumes tomorrow, with sprint qualifying starting at 11am BST. Until then, have a lovely rest of your Friday! Go well!
Breaking news
12:35:07 pm
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Here's the full report on Belgian GP qualifying:
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19
Photo by: Michael Potts / Motorsport Images
12:34:21 pm
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But, for a day, the F1 pack can forget all about the main event as tomorrow's focus is solely on sprint qualifying and the sprint race.
12:28:29 pm
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So, Verstappen will start Sunday's grand prix from sixth place due to his grid penalty. Last year he made light work of fighting to the front from 14th on the grid, so he's got a headstart on that.
Quote
12:25:23 pm
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Verstappen on his Q2 scare: "It was very tight. The conditions were really tricky and on my final lap in Q2 I didn't have that confidence to push. But in Q3 we had two tyre sets, so we had more chance to push more."
12:21:24 pm
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Verstappen apologises to Lambiase over team radio as he reflects on his mega Q3 lap. His race engineer replies that he is "slowly getting used to it".
12:19:47 pm
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That is a stunning gap to pull out over the rest. To put it into context, a 0.8s gap that splits Verstappen to Leclerc covers Leclerc in second down to Alonso in ninth!
Checkered flag
12:18:14 pm
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Verstappen heads Q3 by a stunning 0.820s! But with his five-place grid penalty it means Leclerc will start the Belgian GP from pole position ahead of Perez.
Stopwatch
12:17:09 pm
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But there's Verstappen who puts in a 1m46.168s to top qualifying!
12:16:31 pm
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Sainz misses out to go second, then Piastri misses out to go third...
12:16:09 pm
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Leclerc sets the time to beat of 1m46.988s...
12:15:32 pm
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Russell is last across the line to start his final flying lap by just two seconds - that was very close!
12:13:49 pm
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It is time for the final Q3 runs. It is now or never.
12:12:08 pm
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As things stand, the fight for pole is between both Ferraris, Red Bull's Verstappen and potentially both the McLarens.
12:11:11 pm
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Both Mercedes went for two bites at a fast lap in the first run, the second of which pushed Hamilton to sixth and Russell to ninth.
12:10:02 pm
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Sainz slots into third which would hand Ferrari a front row lockout as it stands due to Verstappen's grid penalty.
Stopwatch
12:09:16 pm
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Leclerc beats Verstappen and Piastri to move on to provisional pole! His 1m47.931s gives him a 0.128s advantage over Verstappen.
Stopwatch
12:07:46 pm
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First timed laps coming up, as Alonso sets the time to beat of 1m49.164s.
12:04:52 pm
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DRS has been enabled for this session, having been unavailable to the drivers in the wet conditions of Q1 and Q2. Alonso leads the 10-car train out for the first runs.
Green flag
12:03:18 pm
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Here we go there for Q3.
12:03:05 pm
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Just five teams contesting Q3 with the pair of Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin drivers in the top 10. Exactly as they were at the end of the Hungarian GP.
12:00:34 pm
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Q3 will start in three minutes time.
12:00:10 pm
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There's a few running repairs and tidy ups going on in the team garages during this pause in the action.
11:58:16 am
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An impeding incident between Leclerc and Magnussen will be investigated after qualifying. Meanwhile, Verstappen and race engineer Lambiase get lippy with each other, with the Dutch driver clearly unhappy with his Q2 runs.
11:55:20 am
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This Q3 session is wide open due to the track conditions. Who are you predicting for pole?
11:53:58 am
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The start of Q3 will be delayed, presumably for a quick track clear up following Ocon's off which dragged debris on to the track.
11:53:06 am
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Out in Q2: P11 Tsunoda, P12 Gasly, P13 Magnussen, P14 Bottas, P15 Ocon.
11:52:36 am
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Verstappen makes it into Q3 in 10th place! That was close for the Red Bull driver! Piastri tops Q2!
11:51:37 am
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Every driver is improving on their final laps, so this is going right to the wire...
Stopwatch
11:50:45 am
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Norris on top for now with a 1m54.051s. Ocon is out in Q2 as he drops into the 11th.
11:49:56 am
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Perez puts in a 1m55.151s but the quicker times are flying in now.
Off track
11:49:03 am
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Ocon overcooks it at Turn 9 and clips the wall to rip off the right-hand side of his front wing. That's his Q2 over.
11:48:08 am
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These are the laps when the cream really rises to the top among the drivers. Slick tyres, half-wet and half-dry track, bravery and feeling paramount.
11:45:44 am
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Hamilton's off-track moment with Russell has been noted for rejoining the track unsafely, but there is no investigation ongoing yet.
11:44:25 am
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Norris is also making the gamble, as he gives up his first timed lap on the inters to pit for softs, while pretty much everyone else is doing the same with six minutes of Q2 to go.
11:43:17 am
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Bottas and Piastri are the first slick tyre gamblers and have gone for a set of softs.
Stopwatch
11:41:23 am
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Verstappen puts in really impressive lap in the conditions of 1m55.535s to go top by almost half a second from Perez.
Stopwatch
11:40:36 am
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Piastri goes fastest with a 1m56.370s as his McLaren team-mate Norris emerges from the pits.
11:39:43 am
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All the drivers are still on intermediate tyres but a dry line is starting to emerge. The crossover point isn't here yet, but it is fast approaching.
11:38:27 am
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Everyone apart from Norris is on track for this first run in Q2 as the timed laps begin.
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By: Autosport Staff
Published: Jul 28, 2023, 4:39 PM
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