Formula 1: 2019 Belgian Grand Prix starting grid following penalties

After a slew of grid penalties were issued, what does the starting grid for the Belgian Grand Prix, the 13th race of the 2019 Formula 1 season, look like?

Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the pole position, the third pole position of his Formula 1 career, for the first race back from the 2019 summer break, the Belgian Grand Prix, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

But he is one of only five drivers who are set to start this 44-lap race around the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps road course in Stavelot, Belgium where they qualified.

These five drivers are the top five drivers. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen qualified in second, third, fourth and fifth place, respectively, and are set to start there.

Beyond that, however, the starting grid is chaotic and hardly resembles the qualifying results, as a slew of grid penalties were issued.

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ROKiT Williams Racing’s Robert Kubica is technically set to start where he qualified in 20th (last) place as well since he did not record a lap in the qualifying session, but he had to be given permission to be placed on the starting grid since he was not classified in this session.

Renault teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg originally qualified in sixth and seventh place, but they were both issued five-position grid penalties for power unit component changes. However, because of other penalties, Ricciardo was only demoted four positions to 10th. Hulkenberg is set to start in 12th and is the only penalized driver whose penalty was actually enforced in full.

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr., who qualified in 17th place, was issued the same penalty for the same reason, but because of the penalties that other drivers were issued, he is actually set to start the race in a better position in 16th.

Finally, SportPesa Racing Point’s Lance Stroll, Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon and Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat were sent to the rear for power unit component changes. Kvyat was issued an additional five-position grid penalty for a gearbox change as well.

However, because Kubica is set to start in last place, none of these three drivers were actually sent to the rear of the field. After qualifying in 13th, 14th and 18th place, respectively, Stroll, Albon and Kvyat are set to start in 17th, 18th and 19th.

Here is the full starting lineup for the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix.

NOTE: The changes as a result of these penalties are listed in parentheses.

Starting Lineup (change)
1st – Charles Leclerc (-)
2nd – Sebastian Vettel (-)
3rd – Lewis Hamilton (-)
4th – Valtteri Bottas (-)
5th – Max Verstappen (-)
6th – Kimi Raikkonen (+2)
7th – Sergio Perez (+2)
8th – Kevin Magnussen (+2)
9th – Romain Grosjean (+2)
10th – Daniel Ricciardo (-4)
11th – Lando Norris (+1)
12th – Nico Hulkenberg (-5)
13th – Antonio Giovinazzi (+2)
14th – Pierre Gasly (+2)
15th – George Russell (+4)
16th – Carlos Sainz Jr. (+1)
17th – Lance Stroll (-4)
18th – Alexander Albon (-4)
19th – Daniil Kvyat (-1)
20th – Robert Kubica (-)

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Tune in to ESPN2 later this morning at 9:05 a.m. ET for the live broadcast of the Belgian Grand Prix from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the 13th of 21 races on the 2019 Formula 1 schedule.

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