Carlos Sainz will start from the pole on Sunday at the Belgian Grand Prix 2022 because runaway Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was among the many drivers to be hit with grid penalties. Sainz was actually second fastest to Verstappen in Saturday qualifying but the reigning world champion will drop to 15th ahead of the start. Verstappen otherwise would have won his fourth pole of the season and 17th of his career. Sainz was pleased with his starting position but his Ferrari was an unsettling .632-seconds slower than Verstappen in qualifying.