F1 results: Sprint Shootout timings from the Belgian Grand Prix

Thomas Maher 29 Jul 2023 11:57 AM

Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action at the Belgian Grand Prix. Spa-Francorchamps, July 2023.

Here are the complete results from the Sprint Shootout session from a rain-sodden Spa-Francorchamps.

While an absolute deluge of rain hit the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Saturday morning to delay the start of the Sprint Shootout session, the qualifying session finally got underway as the sun began peering out from behind the clouds.

With the conditions rapidly improving, it became a matter of pounding around the long circuit to keep putting in the laptimes on the intermediate tyres, with the times tumbling throughout.

Despite the unpredictability of the conditions, there were familiar names at the top of the first part of the Sprint shootout, with Max Verstappen topping the times ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Eliminated from SQ1 were AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, as well as the two Haas drivers – Kevin Magnussen in 18th, and Nico Hulkenberg down in 20th after failing to set a laptime.

Heading into SQ2, Verstappen and Hamilton continued their run as they claimed the top two positions in a session that was shortened due to a late red flag.

Lance Stroll, switching to the slick tyre in a calculated risk as teams approached the crossover point, lost control and hit the barriers. Uninjured, he climbed free while the session was stopped. Unfortunately for Aston Martin, his crash meant Fernando Alonso didn’t get a time in as the FIA deigned not to resume the session.

With Stroll and Alonso out in 14th and 15th, respectively, AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo was knocked out in 11th ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant.

Heading into Q3, the drivers all swapped over to the soft tyre compound, with Lewis Hamilton going quickest through the first runs.

But, for the second runs, it was Verstappen who positioned himself to cross the line as last man across the line for optimal conditions. With Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez, followed by the two Ferraris, all taking top spot as they crossed the line, it was Oscar Piastri who got pulses racing as he went quickest with only Verstappen behind him.

With Piastri having gone fastest of all through sector three, Verstappen managed to pull it together in the final sector to just pip Piastri by 0.011 seconds to clinch top spot for the Sprint race.

2023 Belgian Grand Prix F1 Results – Sprint Shootout (Classification):

SQ3:

1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:49.056
2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.011
3. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.025
4. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.195
5. Lando Norris McLaren +0.333
6. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.644
7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.844
8. Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.905
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.438
10. George Russell Mercedes +6.686

SQ2:

1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:55.200
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.623
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.678
4. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.937
5. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.065
6. Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.192
7. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +1.357
8. Lando Norris McLaren +1.628
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.851
10. George Russell Mercedes +2.193
11. Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri +2.487
12. Alex Albon Williams No time
13. Logan Sargeant Williams No time
14. Lance Stroll Aston Martin No time
15. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin No time

SQ1:

1. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:58.135
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.804
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.903
4. Alex Albon Williams +1.063
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull +1.227
6. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +1.279
7. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.440
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.749
9. Logan Sargeant Williams +1.896
10. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.897
11. Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.921
12. Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri +2.042
13. Lando Norris McLaren +2.301
14. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.325
15. George Russell Mercedes +2.340
16. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +2.433
17. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +2.816
18. Kevin Magnussen Haas +2.944
19. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +3.295
20. Nico Hulkenberg Haas No time