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Verstappen and Leclerc gain a place on Belgian GP grid / Photo: © AFP
Verstappen and Leclerc gain a place on Belgian GP grid
Championship leader Max Verstappen and closest rival Charles Leclerc both moved up a place on the starting grid for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda was penalised for an illegal power unit change, meaning he will now start from the pit lane.
Tsunoda is the eighth driver, including Verstappen and Leclerc, who have been relegated to the back of the grid for changing engines.
Tsunoda was set to start from 13th place on the grid, having originally qualified in 19th, but the announcement on Sunday that he had taken fresh power unit components and a new exhaust means he will now start from the pit lane.
Tsunoda's sanction allows the seven drivers behind him to move up a place.
Hence Verstappen will now start from 14th, with Leclerc, who is the Dutchman's closest challenger 80 points behind, one place behind.
The two leaders had both already been sanctioned and demoted on the grid for engine and gearbox changes beyond the authorised quota per season.
Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lando Norris (McLaren), Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) and Mick Schumacher (Haas), all sanctioned for the same reasons, also gain a place.
Revised grid for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps:
Front row
Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari)
Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull)
2nd row
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine-Renault)
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
3rd row
George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
Alex Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes)
4th row
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes)
Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Red Bull)
5th row
Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes)
Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin-Mercedes)
6th row
Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes)
Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari)
7th row
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo)*
Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)*
8th row
Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)*
Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault)*
9th row
Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes)*
Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo)*
10th row
Mick Schumacher (GER/Haas-Ferrari)*
Starts from pit lane:
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull)*
* Eight drivers who posted the fastest time were hit with penalties and demoted to the back for the fitting of new power units and parts to their cars.
G.Collins--SFF
