Max Verstappen scored pole position for Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix in a rain-hit qualifying session, with George Russell shocking the paddock by taking second place.
Verstappen emerged on top in a crazy session at Spa-Francorchamps that featured a lengthy delay following a large accident for McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Russell will start alongside Verstappen on the front row of the grid after pulling off one of the shocks of the season in Q3.
World Champion Lewis Hamilton will star from third place.
Huge Norris shunt at Eau Rouge
Norris had been the star of qualifying after leading the way through Q1 and Q2, during which Intermediate tyres were largely favoured.
Heavier rain prior to Q3 prompted most of the field to start the session on Wet tyres, with Sebastian Vettel suggesting on his out-lap that the session should be halted.
Norris was second in the queue to attempt a lap but lost control towards the top of the Eau Rouge/Raidillon climb and speared heavily into the barriers.
Norris’ McLaren MCL35M bounced across the track before coming to a halt in the run-off at the top of the crest, with all four corners of the car sustaining substantial damage.
The pursuing Vettel slowed to check Norris was okay as the youngster extricated himself from the wreckage while nursing his elbow.
Russell stuns with late lap
After a 45-minute delay, due to the worsening conditions, the green light was given to resume Q3.
It had looked set to be a battle between the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers, with Hamilton provisionally setting a time almost a second clear of Verstappen.
Russell, who had secured safe passage through to Q3, set only one lap but did so during the closing stages and leapt to the top of the timesheets.
Hamilton failed to beat Russell, falling 0.013s short, though Verstappen ended hopes of a shock pole position by jumping the Williams driver by three-tenths of a second.
Russell will nevertheless start from second, behind Verstappen, with Hamilton in third spot.
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo salvaged the team’s day by taking fourth, with Vettel fifth and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly sixth.
Sergio Perez was seventh as Bottas slid down the order to eighth – and will start only 13th due to his grid penalty.
Hungary victor Esteban Ocon and the aforementioned Norris rounded out the top 10.
Ferrari out in Q2
Ferrari has claimed two pole positions in 2021 in the hands of Charles Leclerc but failed to get either car through to Q3.
Charles Leclerc, who claimed his maiden victory at the event in 2019, was 11th, with team-mate Carlos Sainz 13th.
They were separated by Williams’ Nicholas Latifi; the Canadian displayed encouraging pace but was unable to get on par with team-mate Russell.
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso was 14th while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished 15th.
Stroll will drop to the back of the grid for the start of Sunday’s race owing to his penalty for causing a collision in Hungary.
Little shock in Q1
Despite the tricky conditions that greeted the field in Q1 there was little surprise in the identities of those who were eliminated early on.
Antonio Giovinazzi was 16th, with four-time Belgian GP winner Kimi Räikkönen only 19th, as neither Alfa Romeo driver displayed much speed.
They were joined at the bottom of the pack by 2021’s three rookies.
Yuki Tsunoda took 17th spot while Mick Schumacher did well to beat Alfa Romeo’s Räikkönen, finishing the session almost a second faster than Haas team-mate Nikita Mazepin.
Sunday’s 44-lap Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled for 15:00 local time
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