SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Formula One champion Max Verstappen won a "cat and mouse" Belgian Grand Prix sprint on Saturday in Red Bull's first race under the leadership of Laurent Mekies following Christian Horner's dismissal.

Lando Norris took pole position Saturday for Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen won the sprint race earlier in the day. Norris set the fastest time early in the final session. His McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri couldn't quite beat it on his final run,

Lando Norris slipped from eight to nine points behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri after the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race, but the Briton will be confident of closing the championship gap after beating Piastri to pole position for the main race.

In 2023, Dutch driver Dilano van 't Hoff was killed after a multi-car crash at the exit of Raidillon, just before the Kemmel Straight. Van 't Hoff was racing in the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) and the crash also involved Joshua Dufek, Adam Fitzgerald, Enzo Scionti, and Tim Tramnitz.

Oscar Piastri topped the Belgian Grand Prix’s sole practice session with a comfortable margin over Max Verstappen ahead of Sprint qualifying later today.