F1 LIVE | Qualifying for the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Franchorchamps
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It is the first day of the Grand Prix weekend in Belgium, but it is already time for qualifying. The Formula 1 drivers qualify for Sunday's Grand Prix on Friday afternoon before competing in the Sprint Shootout and the F1 sprint race on Saturday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Qualifying 2023 Belgian Grand Prix
Verstappen back on pole?
In the Hungarian GP, Max Verstappen did not start from pole position. That honour went to Lewis Hamilton, who was ecstatic with his first pole in a long time. Nevertheless, Verstappen already had the lead in the first corner, after which he drove convincingly to his seventh victory in a row.
Verstappen is also the towering favourite in Belgium, together with Red Bull Racing. The RB19 driven by Adrian Newey excels this year in top speed and also has a DRS advantage, making the speed of Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez unmatchable on the straight.
The chance of a wet qualifying is considerable because rain is predicted for the entire Friday around the F1 circuit in the Belgian Ardennes. The drivers may therefore have to pull out the wet tyres or intermediates, and the same expectation can be extended to Saturday, where the Sprint Shootout and the sprint race are on the schedule.