McLaren’s Oscar Piastri delivered a sensational performance at Spa-Francorchamps on Friday, clinching pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race with a commanding lap that left Red Bull’s Max Verstappen trailing by nearly half a second.

The 24-year-old Australian topped the sprint qualifying session with a scorching lap time of 1:40.510, reaffirming his lead in the championship standings, where he holds an eight-point advantage over teammate Lando Norris. Norris secured third place on the sprint grid, making it a strong showing for McLaren.

“It was a really strong lap,” said a beaming Piastri. “After a scare with the lap deletion in SQ2, I’m thrilled with how we bounced back. The car’s been incredible all day, credit to the team.”

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start fourth, followed by Esteban Ocon in the Haas, Carlos Sainz representing Williams, and Oliver Bearman in the second Haas. Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top ten.

Meanwhile, it was a disastrous session for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who spun off twice at Stavelot and ended his qualifying in 18th place due to a suspected mechanical issue with his Ferrari.

Verstappen, returning to action for the first time since Christian Horner’s dramatic departure from Red Bull, settled for second. “It was a decent lap, and being sandwiched between the two McLarens is a positive result,” said the Dutchman. “But the gap is large, so we’ll need to dial in the balance before the sprint.”

The qualifying session unfolded under dry, breezy conditions at the iconic Spa circuit. It was also the first public appearance for new Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies, who replaced Horner amid internal turmoil. Mekies expressed surprise at the sudden transition but underscored his commitment to retaining Verstappen long-term.

Sprint qualifying featured dramatic moments, including a gravel excursion by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and a high-speed off for Hamilton, who fought his car through multiple slides before exiting the session early.

Piastri’s pole came after an earlier setback in SQ2, when his initial time was deleted for exceeding track limits. Undeterred, the Australian regrouped and unleashed a blistering final lap to seize the top spot, bouncing back from a frustrating British Grand Prix where a time penalty had denied him a potential win.

With momentum on his side, Piastri now heads into Saturday’s sprint as the clear favorite, looking to extend his championship lead and solidify McLaren’s dominance at Spa.