Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium - August 27, 2022 Alpine's Fernando Alonso during qualifying REUTERS/Johanna Geron TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY , 

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen lapped in a league of his own in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday but Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took pole position after penalties reshuffled the grid.

The Dutchman set a time of one minute 43.665 seconds around the 7km track to end up 0.632 seconds quicker than Spaniard Sainz.

The Red Bull driver will start 15th on Sunday’s grid, however, after being hit with engine and gearbox-related penalties.

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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Verstappen's closest championship rival, set the fourth quickest time but dropped to 16th due to similar penalties.

"With the pace that we have in the car ... I want to be at least on the podium," said Verstappen, who leads Leclerc by 80 points with nine races remaining.

The 24-year-old Dutchman won the previous race in Hungary from 10th on the grid and rivals said another Verstappen victory was entirely possible.