Norris takes Belgian GP pole; Verstappen wins sprint race

Lando Norris pipped McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri to pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Norris beat Piastri, the championship leader, by just 0.085 seconds as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen slipped down to fourth, beaten by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, after errors on his final lap.

Leclerc’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton was knocked out of the first session after having his final lap time deleted for exceeding track limits and will start 16th.

Williams driver Alex Albon slipped ahead of his friend George Russell’s Mercedes by 0.059secs to take fifth.

Verstappen wins Belgian GP sprint race

Verstappen held off the McLarens of Piastri and Norris to win a tense sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen passed Piastri on the opening lap with a slipstream up the long Kemmel straight and used his Red Bull’s straight-line advantage to hold the Australian at arm’s length for the entire 15 laps.

Piastri was within a second of Verstappen – and usually much closer – for the entire race, but never quite managed to get close enough to challenge for the lead.

Norris lost third place to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the opening lap. But once he past the Monegasque just after half distance, the Briton closed on the lead fight, where like Piastri he was unable to make any progress.

Piastri’s second place moved him one point further ahead of Norris in the championship, with qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix later on Saturday.

Verstappen’s victory marked a winning start for Red Bull under new team principal Laurent Mekies, after Christian Horner was sacked from the role following the British Grand Prix. (BBC)