Belgian GP: Max Verstappen just denies star performer George Russell pole after Lando Norris crash

Max Verstappen just denied Williams’ George Russell an incredible pole position in a dramatic rain-hit Belgian GP qualifying session which saw early pacesetter Lando Norris crash out heavily.

Lewis Hamilton, the championship leader, will start from third with Russell – strongly tipped to join his countryman at Mercedes next year – astonishingly finishing between the big two F1 title rivals on the grid.

Russell’s Williams’ team are eighth out of 10 teams in the world championship and last claimed a front-row, also in the wet, at Monza 2017.

Norris had led the wet qualifying hour’s early stages but crashed heavily in increasing rain at the start of Q3 at the fast Eau Rouge corner.

With his McLaren getting away from him in the middle of the uphill right-hander, Norris spun into a big impact with the outside barrier, before coming back across the circuit.

Norris was able to get out of the crashed car unaided and told the team over the radio he was OK. He was taken to the circuit’s medical centre for mandatory check-ups.

After a lengthy delay to the session, the Q3 shootout resumed with Hamilton setting the initial pace before Russell threatened to pull off the biggest qualifying shock for years by outpacing the world champion on his final lap.

But Verstappen was going fractionally faster behind and pipped Russell to an astonishing P1 by three tenths of a second.

With Hamilton shuffled back to third, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo took a season-best fourth ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel in fifth and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly with sixth.

Valtteri Bottas was only eighth in the second Mercedes – and that will become 13th on Sunday’s race grid owing to the Finn’s five-place grid penalty for causing the first corner carnage at the last race in Hungary.

Belgian GP Qualifying: Top 10
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) George Russell, Williams
3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
4) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren
5) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
6) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
7) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
8) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes*
9) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
10) Lando Norris, McLaren

*5-place grid penalty

More to follow…

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