The reigning F1 world champion dominated qualifying, being quickest by 0.632s to the closest challenger Sainz, but with an engine penalty on the grid, Verstappen will start from 15th.
Verstappen’s penalty meant Sainz inherited pole for Ferrari and will be joined by Sergio Perez on the front row in the second Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc, who finished qualifying fourth, also has a penalty at the back of the grid and will start from 16th directly behind title rival Verstappen.
Despite the grid penalty, both Verstappen and Leclerc are expected to battle for podium places, while Mercedes driver George Russell said he hoped the Dutchman could still win the Belgian GP.
It was a disappointing qualifying for Mercedes with his best effort from Lewis Hamilton 1.838s off Verstappen’s best lap, prompting team principal Toto Wolff to call it “not acceptable”.

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C42
Photo by: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
When is the F1 Belgian Grand Prix?
Date: Sunday, August 28, 2022
Start time: 14:00 BST, 15:00 local time
Round 14 of the 2022 F1 season, the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps, will kick off at 15:00 local time (14:00 BST) on Sunday 28 August.
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the UK, Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming via NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels, which costs £20 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off payment of £11.98p or a monthly membership of £33.99p per month.
How can I watch the F1 Belgian GP?
In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the Belgian GP live, with the race being shown live on Sky Sports F1. Pre-race coverage will begin on Sky Sports F1 at 12:30pm prior to the start of the race at 2:00pm BST.
Channels: sky sports f1
Start time: 12:30pm BST, Sunday 28th August 2022
Autosport will do live text coverage of the Belgian GP here.
When can I see the highlights of the F1 Belgian GP?
In the UK, Channel 4 broadcasts highlights from the Belgian GP at 6:30pm BST on Sunday night. The full program will run for two and a half hours and will cover the pre-race stage, race highlights and initial post-race reaction to wrap up the main talking points of race weekend.
Throughout the 2022 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights from every qualifying and race from every event. Highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s catch-up-on-demand services.
Channel: Channel 4
Start time: 6:30pm BST, Sunday 28th August 2022

Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-22
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Will the F1 Belgian GP be on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2022 F1 season will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra stations, the BBC Sounds app and via the BBC Sport website.
Live coverage of the Belgian GP will start at 2:00pm BST on the BBC Sport website and on the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the F1 Belgian GP
Current weather forecasts predict sunny and warm conditions in Spa-Francorchamps, with little chance of rain. The temperature is expected to be 21 degrees Celsius for the start of the race, two degrees lower than at the Hungarian GP last time.
How many laps does the F1 Belgian GP take?
The race is scheduled to complete 44 laps at Spa-Francorchamps, covering a total race distance of 308.052km.