SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (Reuters) – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start tomorrow’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.
“I think this year the car is better so I’m still targeting to win the race for sure,” said the Belgian-born Dutch driver, whose team have won every race this season and a record 12 in a row including last year’s Abu Dhabi finale. The double world champion’s best lap of one minute 46.168 seconds, in sunshine on a rapidly drying track after rain delayed the start of the session by 10 minutes, was 0.820 quicker than Leclerc’s fastest effort.
“Still very far from Max,” said Leclerc who had set the provisional pole time of 1:47.931 and then improved again before Verstappen blew it away. The pole was his second of the season.
“Not confident, especially with the two Red Bull guys right behind,” he said of his chances on Sunday. “I think they’ve got a much better race car than we have.
“It’s great to be starting first, and it gives us a good chance to have a great result, but to say that we will target the win I think is probably a bit too optimistic.”