P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Who really starred and who’s got most to rue after a Spa sprint qualifying session full of surprises
Qualifying for the most recent Formula 1 sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix was full of surprises, with Ferrari and Mercedes already facing setbacks early on.
Mercedes, hopeful for a strong performance, struggled as Kimi Antonelli’s spin in SQ1 affected team-mate George Russell’s afternoon, leaving them in 13th and 20th places.
Russell attributed his poor performance to running through the gravel cloud created by Antonelli’s spin, causing damage to his car and hindering his qualifying chances.
Mercedes’ engineering director suggested that the “gravel rash” from Antonelli’s incident contributed to Russell’s difficulties in SQ2, resulting in the disappointing outcome.
On the other hand, Oscar Piastri emerged as a big winner by securing first place with an impressive lap during qualifying, outpacing both Max Verstappen and his teammate Lando Norris by a significant margin.
Piastri’s exceptional performance at Spa, complimented by his strong showings in previous races, indicates his potential to continue excelling in the upcoming events.
