Autobayng News Team
Mercedes are enduring one of their weakest performances of the year so far in Belgium.
Teams’ performance
Neither Mercedes driver reached the final round of qualifying for the sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps. Matters improved somewhat in qualifying for the grand prix where George Russell at least made it to Q3, though Andrea Kimi Antonelli was eliminated in the first round for the second time this weekend.
Russell was beaten to fifth on the grid by Alexander Albon. With the McLaren drivers locking out the front row, this was the first time Mercedes have been out-qualified by two of their customer teams in a straight fight this year (it also happened in Monaco, though Russell’s car broke down there).
Williams have made a huge year-on-year improvement at Spa. They were the slowest car over a single lap at this track last year but set the fourth-quickest time in qualifying.
The fourth Mercedes-powered team, Aston Martin, have gone in the opposite direction. Although they are over a second per lap faster than last year, the softer tyre allocation means all the teams have gained time, and every one of Aston Martin’s rivals have picked up more.
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Field performance
Oscar Piastri set the fastest lap ever seen on this layout of the Spa circuit when he took pole position for the sprint race. However no one bettered it in qualifying for the grand prix.
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Sector times
Both McLaren drivers looked capable of going quicker in Q3. Piastri said he lost time at Stavelot on both his laps while Lando Norris couldn’t improve on his final run.
“There were a couple of corners that I must have gone slower in, I guess,” he said. “I don’t know why. I don’t see if I’m going quicker or not on my lap.
“Maybe on turn one [La Source], I hit the kerb a little bit, and it’s a long run after turn one, so probably cost myself a little bit there. And the last corner, a bit too much kerb in both of them, and I probably lost half a tenth, a touch more, and I go slower. We’re talking small margins.”
The McLaren drivers’ sector times show they each had a little more time up their sleeves. But none of the drivers who progressed beyond the first round of qualifying managed to put completely clean laps together.
| P. | # | Driver | S1 | S2 | S3 | Ultimate lap (deficit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | 29.991 (9) | 42.532 (1) | 27.879 (3) | 1’40.402 (+0.160) |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | 29.983 (8) | 42.623 (2) | 27.869 (2) | 1’40.475 (+0.151) |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | 30.055 (14) | 42.785 (3) | 27.926 (5) | 1’40.766 (+0.137) |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | 29.819 (2) | 43.049 (5) | 27.947 (8) | 1’40.815 (+0.085) |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | 29.761 (1) | 43.463 (13) | 27.857 (1) | 1’41.081 (+0.173) |
| 6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | 29.858 (4) | 43.226 (8) | 28.009 (14) | 1’41.093 (+0.108) |
| 7 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | 30.019 (11) | 43.081 (6) | 28.077 (16) | 1’41.177 (+0.068) |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | 30.032 (12) | 43.172 (7) | 27.991 (13) | 1’41.195 (+0.086) |
| 9 | 30 | Liam Lawson | 29.970 (6) | 43.291 (10) | 27.978 (11) | 1’41.239 (+0.058) |
| 10 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | 30.147 (18) | 42.879 (4) | 28.244 (20) | 1’41.270 (+0.347) |
| 11 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 30.051 (13) | 43.267 (9) | 27.986 (12) | 1’41.304 (+0.032) |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | 29.921 (5) | 43.619 (14) | 27.933 (6) | 1’41.473 (+0.160) |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | 29.828 (3) | 43.749 (16) | 27.942 (7) | 1’41.519 (+0.006) |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | 30.072 (16) | 43.328 (11) | 28.136 (17) | 1’41.536 (+0.171) |
| 15 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | 29.974 (7) | 43.641 (15) | 27.977 (10) | 1’41.592 (+0.347) |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | 30.122 (17) | 43.462 (12) | 28.055 (15) | 1’41.639 (+0.052) |
| 17 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | 30.007 (10) | 44.049 (19) | 27.966 (9) | 1’42.022 |
| 18 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 30.056 (15) | 44.200 (20) | 27.883 (4) | 1’42.139 |
| 19 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | 30.185 (19) | 43.969 (17) | 28.193 (18) | 1’42.347 (+0.038) |
| 20 | 18 | Lance Stroll | 30.222 (20) | 44.048 (18) | 28.232 (19) | 1’42.502 |
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