On a rainy, damp afternoon at the Belgian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc recorded the second-fastest time in qualifying.
But it’s the athletes who recorded the fastest times who look strongest heading into the main event.
Max Verstappen set the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday, but because Red Bull fitted his RB20 with a new internal combustion engine earlier this week, Verstappen will serve a 10-place grid penalty on Sunday, meaning he will be back in 11th place when the lights go out tomorrow afternoon.
But Verstappen seems to have the car to quickly climb the ranks on a circuit where overtaking is possible, with his best time in Q3 being more than half a second quicker than pole-sitter Leclerc.
Starting next to Leclerc on the front row will be Sergio Pérez. Red Bull’s second driver has come under criticism in recent weeks for a string of poor performances that has put his future with Red Bull after the summer break that starts on Monday in doubt, but Saturday’s performance should put him in good stead on Sunday.
A performance like this might be enough to keep him there for the rest of the season.
“Like I always say, every weekend is a new chance to do better, and tomorrow is a new chance to do better than today, a chance to win and have a shot.” Perez said after qualifying:“I have a good feeling about tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes.”
As for Leclerc, Saturday’s strong performance was a bit of a relief for a driver who has been in doubt in recent weeks. Since winning his home race in Monaco at the end of May, Leclerc has also struggled. 24 points in 5 races He has scored 17 points over the weekend since Monaco – by comparison, Perez has scored 17 points in the same period.
Full preliminary results are as follows:
But in many ways Saturday was Verstappen’s race. He was facing problems of his own following last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. He was frustrated for almost the entire race, starting with his team telling him to hand the position over to Lando Norris after an overtake early in the race. Verstappen continued to be frustrated during multiple radio exchanges with his team, and a collision with Lewis Hamilton late in the race sent his RB20 flying briefly into the air, ending any chance of a podium finish.
But things are looking different on Sunday, as Verstappen looks to have the dominant package heading into the Grand Prix, despite starting from 11th place.
That could save you a lot of frustration.
