Piastri beats Verstappen to Belgium F1 sprint pole as Red Bull’s post-Horner era begins

Oscar Piastri beat Max Verstappen to pole position for the sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix as Red Bull began its first Formula 1 race weekend since the firing of Christian Horner as team principal.

Red Bull has been the focus of attention in F1 after Horner’s dismissal earlier this month, but Piastri, Verstappen and Lando Norris showed the title fight remains vibrant ahead of Saturday’s sprint.

Piastri was at risk of being eliminated after straying off track in the second part of the session but bounced back to take pole by .477 of a second from Red Bull’s Verstappen, who split the two dominant McLarens by relegating Norris to third, .618 off the pace.

“The car’s been mega all day,” Piastri said on Friday. “This is a track I love, it’s my favorite one of the year and maybe that gave me a couple of extra tenths (of a second).”

Norris’ emotional win in the rain at the British Grand Prix cut Piastri’s championship lead to eight points, while Piastri fumed at what he saw as the unfair penalty he received at Silverstone.

Friday was the first test of the Australian driver’s vow to harness the “frustration” he felt to win more races. And just like at Silverstone, rain could play a big part this weekend. It may affect both Saturday’s sprint and the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari and Haas had a strong day with Esteban Ocon fifth and Oliver Bearman seventh. Yuki Tsunoda continued to struggle in the second Red Bull, qualifying 12th for the sprint, and it was a poor session for Mercedes, with George Russell 13th and Kimi Antonelli 20th.

Red Bull’s new team principal Laurent Mekies says he hasn’t been told why its parent company chose to fire Horner.

Amid rampant speculation across Formula 1, Red Bull’s parent company hasn’t explained its reasons for removing Horner from his role after 20 years. Mekies said his appointment was “a surprise for everyone”.

“We didn’t get into the ‘why?’ and the ‘why now?’, but they outlined the sort of objectives they had for the team moving forward,” said Mekies, who is in charge of the team for the first time at the Belgian Grand Prix after moving up from sister team Racing Bulls.

Mekies has been in contact with Horner, who he said was “nothing else than supportive, even in the extremely difficult context.”

One thing has stayed the same – Verstappen’s future remains uncertain. The Dutch driver said Thursday that Horner was like a “second family” but that his removal wouldn’t affect his plans.

Verstappen said he still hoped to remain with Red Bull for the rest of his career but noted that “life is unpredictable.” In an extra twist, Russell indicated to broadcaster Sky Sports on Thursday that he believed Verstappen and Mercedes remained in talks.

“I’m sure Max wants a fast car and if we get him a fast car, I’m sure it’s canceling out all the other considerations,” Mekies said Friday, adding that if that happens it could be “an easy call for Max.”

Lewis Hamilton has declared it’s “crunch time” for him at Ferrari, but there was more disappointment for the British driver as he spun at the final chicane in sprint qualifying and finished 18th.

The seven-time champion, yet to finish on the podium in a Grand Prix since joining Ferrari, revealed Thursday he’s been setting up a series of meetings not just with top team personnel, but with Ferrari’s corporate leadership. Hamilton’s seeking “structural adjustments” and to make sure his voice is part of Ferrari’s development plans for 2026.