The 2024 F1 Belgian GP qualifying saw Max Verstappen dominate and set the fastest time for the fourth consecutive year. The Red Bull driver will start the race from P11 but the fact that he could put together a lap 6 tenths faster than anybody else should concern everyone.
The driver who secured P2 and will start the F1 Belgian GP on pole is Charles Leclerc, and he will be accompanied on the front row by Sergio Perez. On the second row, we will have Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, respectively, as the Mercedes driver pipped the McLaren star in Q3.
The session was run in wet weather conditions, and drivers had to be on their toes at every moment. As the session ended, who would be happy with how Qualifying went, and who would be a bit disappointed? Let's take a look.
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2024 F1 Belgian GP Qualifying
Winner
Max Verstappen and Red Bull
This was dominance personified, and Max Verstappen just ground the opposition into submission. So much so that both Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, the drivers who pride themselves on competing against and beating Max, looked despondent after the session.
The F1 Belgian GP is proving to be a masterclass from Max Verstappen, and all that is left is to see how he performs in the race.
Loser
McLaren
McLaren would have wanted a front-row start because that would have given both their drivers the opportunity to pull away early in the race as Max Verstappen makes his way through the field.
A second and third-row start is a concern because not only will the drivers need to be careful at the start, but they will also have to make sure that they pull out enough of a gap as they themselves try to establish a lead in the F1 Belgian GP.
Winner
Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc had a "Y'all must have forgotten" moment in the F1 Belgian GP qualifying as he did something that a driver of his caliber can actually pull off.
The final lap where Charles Leclerc secured pole position was the moment where not a single driver improved on their times. It's been a while since F1 has seen the Leclerc brilliance, and this was a nice reminder.
Loser
Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda
It's a bit unfair that Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda have to show how good they can be in an RB and somehow outshine Sergio Perez, but those are the cards they've been dealt with for now.
With Sergio Perez securing a front-row start and a position from which he could potentially win the F1 Belgian GP, both Daniel and Yuki might not be too happy with how the session went.
Winner
Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso
When we talk about drivers making a difference, both Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso did just that and produced stunning laps in Q2 to secure a top-10 slot. In Q2, it came down to who could put the best lap together in the dying stages.
In fairness, after the top 4 teams occupied the top 8 slots, it came down to the battle for the last two slots, and it was Ocon and Alonso who got the job done. Impressive foundation for both of them to score points at the F1 Belgian GP.
Loser
Haas
Haas has most probably set the car up for the race, as Nico Hulkenberg has consistently set fast sector 1 times. Unfortunately for the team, this cost them dearly as both their drivers was out in Q1. Even if we assume the drivers can make progress in the race, it's going to be a tall order for them, and the points might be out of reach here.
