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LIVE F1 | Sprint Shootout qualifying for the Belgian sprint race at Spa
Max Verstappen was the fastest in qualifying for the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix by eight tenths. However, it is Charles Leclerc who will start Sunday's Grand Prix from pole position due to the Red Bull drivers penalty. Will the single-lap pace remain the same on Saturday? We'll find out in the Sprint Shootout, which is a shortened version of qualifying to determine the grid for the sprint race.
F1 LIVE | Sprint Shootout Qualifying in Belgium
The Sprint Shootout doesn't take 60 minutes but 44 minutes. All 20 drivers have 12 minutes in SQ1 to set a time for the top 15. Ten minutes have been reserved for SQ2, and eight minutes have been reserved for the all-decisive SQ3. The choice of tyre is otherwise free, although there is a good chance that we will see intermediates or even full-wets again.
Rain has been predicted. It's going to rain all Saturday morning, and it's not expected to get drier until the end of the afternoon. However, if it gets dry for an hour, then a dry line can soon form again, as we saw in qualifying on Friday. The slicks may still be involved, and it might create an interesting grid for the Sprint.
In the rain, Oscar Piastri made a thunderous impression yesterday, so the rookie will be keen to fight for the front starting positions. The Ferraris will hope for as good qualifying as Friday, but with two RB19s in the field, the competition is fierce. Not only are Red Bull doing very well in the Ardennes, but they also won the previous two Sprint Shootouts in Azerbaijan and Austria.