Amid a Host of Confusing Penalties, What Is the Final Starting Grid of the Belgian GP?

It’ll be lights out and away they will go. Formula 1 is finally back after the lengthy yet eventful summer break. The race is yet to come, but we are past the Belgian GP qualifying. The qualifying session has produced an interesting and different starting grid compared to the first half of the season.

For the unaware, the starting grid will not look exactly like the grid positions from the qualifying session for one reason, i.e. a total of six drivers are taking grid penalties for new power units.

They are Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Mick Schumacher, and Zhou Guanyu.

While Verstappen topped the qualifying, Leclerc, Norris, and Ocon made it to Q3. However, none of the aforementioned drivers will be in the top ten. The quartet, along with Schumacher and Guanyu, will start the Belgian GP from the back of the grid. Keeping that in mind, let’s have a look at the starting grid for the upcoming race.

We will see a Ferrari and Red Bull occupying the top two spots yet again. However, this time it is the F1-75 of Carlos Sainz and RB18 of Sergio Perez locking the front row.

Behind the two leading men, occupying the second row, are old teammates Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton’s teammate George Russell will start in P5, alongside Williams’ Alex Albon in P6.

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Occupying the P7 grid position is McLaren’s outgoing driver Daniel Ricciardo, who is followed by Pierre Gasly at P8. Taking up the last two positions in the top 10 are Aston Martin teammates Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel, respectively.

The complete starting grid for the F1 Belgian GP

Coming down from the de facto top ten, let’s look at the rest of the grid with grid penalties in mind for the upcoming race. Occupying the first spot outside the top ten is the Canadian Nicholas Latifi followed by Kevin Magnussen at P12. Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas take up the 13th and 14th spots despite finishing last and second last, respectively.

Now for the penalty takers. Verstappen, who topped the Belgian GP qualifying, will start at P15. Leclerc will be behind his championship rival at P16.

Following Leclerc’s Ferrari will be Ocon at P17 and Norris at P18. Zhou Guanyu and Mick Schumacher will take up the last two berths to complete the starting grid.

The 2022 Belgian GP starting grid looks somewhat like this:

1. Carlos Sainz

2. Sergio Perez

3. Fernando Alonso

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. George Russell

6. Alexander Albon

7. Daniel Ricciardo

8. Pierre Gasly

9. Lance Stroll

10. Sebastian Vettel

11. Nicholas Latifi

12. Kevin Magnussen

13. Valtteri Bottas

14. Max Verstappen

15. Charles Leclerc

16. Esteban Ocon

17. Lando Norris

18. Zhou Guanyu

19. Mick Schumacher

20. Yuki Tsunoda

UPDATE: 

Reportedly, Yuki Tsunoda will be the seventh driver to take a PU-related grid penalty. The Japanese driver will start the race from the pit lane. Tsunoda was P13, which effectively pushes Bottas, Verstappen, Leclerc, Ocon, Norris, Guanyu, and Schumacher one place up on the starting grid.

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