Norris takes pole for F1s Belgian Grand Prix after Verstappen wins sprint
Norris set the fastest time early in the final session. His McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri couldn't quite beat it on his final run, taking second place, 0.085 of a second off Norris' pace. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari, with Verstappen fourth.
The performance delighted Norris' mother Cisca, who is Belgian, as she made a heart gesture with her hands while watching from the McLaren garage.
Norris is targeting his third straight win in a Grand Prix race and is the first McLaren driver on pole in Belgium since Jenson Button in 2012.
'The car has been been flying all weekend, Oscar has been doing a good job all weekend, so we're pushing each other a lot," Norris said.
'It's tough because you see where your strengths and weaknesses are easily and you learn from each other quickly. It's a good but tough battle that we have at the minute." Rain is expected for Sunday, setting up the prospect of another wet-weather battle between the two McLarens after Norris won a thrilling race at his home British Grand Prix.
Norris said it could be a 'Silverstone-esque" race with plenty of chaos, or tricky conditions if only part of the circuit, the longest on the F1 calendar, gets wet and other areas stay dry.
Hamilton struggles again ================ Lewis Hamilton's disappointing weekend continued with 16th in qualifying after his best lap time was ruled out because he'd strayed off track. The day before, the Ferrari driver was 18th in qualifying for the sprint race following a spin.
Hamilton had declared Thursday it was 'crunch time" after struggling for much of his first season with Ferrari.
Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda is set to start eighth, his best qualifying result of an otherwise disappointing time since joining Red Bull after two races of the 2025 season.
Verstappen's sprint win =============== Verstappen overtook Piastri and drove '15 qualifying laps" to win the sprint race at the Belgian GP as Red Bull begins a new era without fired team principal Christian Horner.
Verstappen surged past Piastri on the straight on the first lap. The Australian was close behind Verstappen for the rest of the 15-lap sprint race but couldn't find a way past the four-time champion.
Norris, in the other McLaren, was third after retaking the place from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and catching up to Piastri.
'You're keeping faster cars behind, so you have to drive over the limit of what you think is possible," Verstappen said.
'Tire management is out of the window, so that's what's making it really difficult. I'm just doing 15 qualifying laps to try and keep them behind on a track where tire management is important." It was Verstappen's first race win of any sort since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May, and his first in a sprint since the United States Grand Prix last October.
Piastri extends his lead over Norris in the standings to nine points from eight. Verstappen is third, 68 points off the lead.
Leclerc held on to fourth and it was an impressive result for Haas, with Esteban Ocon fifth and Oliver Bearman seventh. Carlos Sainz, Jr. was sixth for Williams and Isack Hadjar took the final point for Racing Bulls in eighth. (AP) AM AM AM
view comments
First Published:
July 26, 2025, 22:30 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Mohammad Siraj has just won India one of the greatest Test matches ever
It had to be him, didn't it? Written in the stars. The same cricketer who fell just short of carrying India to victory in the third Test, undone by a cruel, overspun delivery. Who dropped Harry Brook on 19 who, in turn, went to score an almost-match-winning 111. Who, across the series, bowled 1,113 deliveries — the equivalent of 46.375 IPL matches. During an overcast, rainy morning at the Oval, London, with millions of eyes on him, Mohammed Siraj uprooted Gus Atkinson's off-stump with a sharp inswinging delivery to drive India home in the final Test of what will surely go down as one of the greatest Test series of all time. Twenty-five days that couldn't have been better if they were scripted. India lost a match it should, at the very least, have drawn. Then, after dominating the second Test, it went on to lose one it should have won as England's bowlers tore through India's batting. In the fourth Test, India clawed its way to a draw, showing character few sides in world cricket can match. And finally, the grand finale, the pièce de résistance: A rollercoaster of a chase that may well define the future of Test cricket and serve as a powerful reminder of that old adage: It's not over till it's over. While the headlines will shine on Siraj — who deserves every inch of the spotlight — this was a victory built on teamwork. Karun Nair's gritty 57, the highest score of the first innings, helped India scrape together a respectable 224, and will probably be as memorable, if not more, as his incredible 303 against the same country back in 2016. Yashasvi Jaiswal's 118 laid the foundation for the daunting target for England. Akash Deep, though quiet with the ball, played an unbeaten 66 as nightwatchman in the second innings, which, with Jaiswal at the other end, helped India recover from 70/2 to 177/3. And when hope seemed to ebb late on Day 4, it was Akash Deep again who shifted the momentum India's way by removing a well-set Harry Brook, who looked poised to finish the game in a blaze. Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel played vital knocks of 53 and 34 in the second innings, followed by Washington Sundar's late burst that added a crucial 53 to the target. Prasidh Krishna bagged eight wickets in the match, including the prized scalp of Joe Root in the second innings. And finally, it was the man of the hour, Mo Siraj, whose swing bowling dismantled England's lower order in the final hour of play. He finished with nine for the game, and as Player of the Match. It wasn't for the fainthearted though. Atkinson launching Mohammad Siraj for six, followed by a few nervy singles, brought the target down to just seven runs. One hit to tie. Two to win. But then, Siraj summoned a Bumrah-esque yorker, a thunderbolt that sealed the match. A game won without Jasprit Bumrah — arguably the best bowler in the world — deserves special mention, just like India's second Test win powered by Shubman Gill's remarkable 430 runs. Ironically, it was the first innings when the Oval pitch and conditions offered the most help to bowlers. But on Day 5, Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna finally found the movement they needed to torment England's tail. England went from 301/3 to 367 all out. And a word for Chris Woakes. Injured on Day 1 with a dislocated shoulder, he couldn't contribute throughout the Test barring the wicket of K L Rahul in the first innings. Yet, in a final act of defiance, he padded up. Every run from the non-striker's end made him wince, but he stood his ground for his country. In the end, mercifully, he didn't have to face a single delivery. There is bound to be much discussion on this particular episode, as it appeared that the Indian side was reluctant to bowl to him, not changing the field or doing much else to stop Atkinson's single, twice, to ensure that the one-handed man faced the next over. As we await the flood of analyses and statistics that will inevitably follow, a final word on Test cricket: Long live, long live. For years, the 2005 Ashes — particularly that nerve-shredding second Test where England nearly threw it all away before clinching victory by two runs — has stood as the gold standard of Test cricket in the 21st century. But 20 years on, India and England, this day, this Test, this series, have risen to meet that benchmark, perhaps even surpassed it. In an era where T20 draws all the crowds and Test cricket often teeters on the edge of neglect, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is a timely reminder of the unmatched drama, depth, and glory the longest format of the game offers. It's the revival Test cricket didn't just need, but also deserved.
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- The Hindu
Ferrari boss backs Lewis Hamilton to make a comeback after miserable Hungarian GP
Lewis Hamilton received support from his Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur on Sunday just hours after the Briton cut a dejected figure following a lacklustre drive to 12th place in the Hungarian Grand Prix. While team-mate Charles Leclerc proved unable to convert Ferrari's first pole position of the season into victory due to unexplained mechanical problems during the race, seven-time champion Hamilton was battling to escape midfield and finished where he started. As on Saturday, when he was dumped out of Q2 and appeared miserable, claiming he was 'completely useless' and saying the team should 'bring in another driver', Hamilton seemed utterly deflated. To most observers, it appeared as if the pressures of living up to the hype of his spectacular marquee move from Mercedes, where he won six titles, and adjusting to the culture, car and expectations at Ferrari were overwhelming him. At 40, talk of imminent retirement circled around him. But Vasseur was swift to defend Hamilton, who has always been prone to impulsive heart-on-sleeve reactions. 'I don't need to motivate him,' said Vasseur. 'Honestly, he's frustrated, but not demotivated. 'He's demanding, but I think it's also why he's (a) seven-time world champion. I can perfectly understand this situation. 'Sometimes, you are making comments on what the driver is saying (in) the car, but if you put the microphone on some other sportsmen, in football and so on, I'm not sure that it would be much better. 'Sometimes, just after the race or just after qualifying, you are very disappointed and the first reaction is harsh. I can understand the frustration, but we are all frustrated.' 'He will be back' Vasseur added Hamilton's weekend appeared worse than it really was because of the tight and competitive times that led him to miss out on reaching Q3 on Saturday. 'For sure, when you are a seven-time world champion, your team-mate is on pole position and you are out in Q2, it's a tough situation,' he said. 'But overall, we can also have a deep look that he was in front of Charles in Q1 and with the first set that he was one-tenth off in Q2. We were not far away from having the two cars out in Q2. 'I can understand the frustration from Lewis. That's normal and he will come back. He was stuck in a DRS train, but when he was alone, the pace was good. 'I'm sure that he will be back and he will perform.' Fourth-placed Leclerc backed his team-mate. 'At the end, we are one team and as much as I want to finish in front of Lewis, I want both of us to be successful and for Ferrari to be successful, and obviously this weekend has been a tough one for Lewis,' Leclerc said. 'But I have no doubt that it's a one-off and I'm sure the second part of the season will be a lot more positive.' Hamilton, sixth in the drivers' standings, but without a podium for Ferrari this year, said he was looking forward to a much-needed 'break from work' during F1's August holiday before the Dutch Grand Prix on the final weekend of this month.
News18
10 hours ago
- News18
F1 silly season puts Red Bull, Mercedes and Cadillac on the spot
Agency: PTI Last Updated: London, Aug 4 (AP) It's time for Formula 1's risk-taking drivers, overworked engineers and harried team principals to relax. At least in theory. With four weeks until the next race, including a mandatory 14-day shutdown of all racing operations from next week, the F1 season is on hold. It's what F1 calls 'silly season," the time when contract talks — and rumors — fill the vacuum. It often seemed like silly season started early amid feverish speculation about a move from Red Bull to Mercedes for four-time champion Max Verstappen. Now that Verstappen has confirmed he's staying with Red Bull, other decisions — such as contract renewals at Mercedes — could speed up. Russell at Mercedes ============ Most F1 teams saw the sweeping rule changes coming for 2026 and tied down key drivers to long contract extensions last year, or even the year before. The idea was to lock in experienced drivers who could help with development throughout 2025, so the very different 2026 cars wouldn't come as a surprise. Mercedes does things a little differently. As well as checking out a potential Verstappen move, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has waited on contract extensions for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who aren't confirmed beyond 2025. Both went through Mercedes' young driver program, which helped them through the junior series and seemingly gives the team more control over their careers. 'Mercedes manage me as well, so it's not really a deadline in my hands as such," four-time GP winner Russell said last month, adding he'd had no talks with other teams. Antonelli started his debut F1 season strongly but the 18-year-old driver's performances have dipped in recent months. Red Bull's other seats ============== Verstappen's decision has taken a lot of pressure off, but the broader Red Bull organization still has three seats to fill — one at Red Bull and two at Racing Bulls. It's not clear who will take the final decision, and when, after longtime team principal Christian Horner was fired. If the logic behind dropping the underperforming Sergio Perez last year was that any Red Bull replacement would do better, it's been proved wrong. Liam Lawson lasted two races as Verstappen's teammate and Yuki Tsunoda has only scored points in three of 12 race weekends since his promotion. The team's engine partnership with Honda ends this year, which could affect Honda-backed Tsunoda's place. French rookie Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls has outscored both Tsunoda and Lawson this season and might be the frontrunner for the Red Bull seat. F1's governing body, the FIA, made an exception to grant Red Bull-backed Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad its super license in June before his 18th birthday. Cadillac is coming =========== 'That's actually a nice seat… I wouldn't mind." Valtteri Bottas' comments in a social media skit in June fawning over a Cadillac road car went viral and cemented him in many fans' minds as the front-runner to join the new General Motors-backed team for 2026. Bottas and Perez are both F1 race winners, popular with fans, who had underwhelming seasons in 2024 and aren't racing in 2025. Their experience might be a boost to a new team, though other reported options include Ferrari reserve Zhou Guanyu, an ex-Sauber driver who could unlock big sponsor backing from China, or ex-Haas driver Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher. The Alpine carousel ============= Ruthless? Yes. Successful? No. Alpine benched the departing Esteban Ocon for Jack Doohan for the last race of 2024, then dropped Doohan for Franco Colapinto six races into 2025. Given that neither Doohan nor Colapinto has scored a point for Alpine, it's perhaps no wonder the team hasn't confirmed who'll partner Pierre Gasly next year. One option is Alpine reserve Paul Aron, who'd be the first Estonian in F1. He's had two practice drives with Sauber this year but was unlucky last week when his car broke down Friday after just eight laps. (AP) APA APA (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 04, 2025, 13:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
