Max Verstappen took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite an X-rated radio row with his race engineer. Verstappen was embroiled in a squabble with Gianpiero Lambiase after he only just made it through to Q3 during a wet-dry session at Spa-Francorchamps. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Daniel Ricciardo is back – and this time he wants to go out on top But the championship leader regained his composure at the business end of qualifying to demolish the opposition, finishing eight tenths clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with Sergio Perez third in the other Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth. However, Verstappen will only start Sunday’s race from sixth position as he serves a five-place grid drop for exceeding his gearbox allocation. Follow live updates from the Belgian Grand Prix with The Independent Read More Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’ Max Verstappen receives penalty for Belgian Grand Prix

You don’t need me to tell you that the past few years have been taxing. From COVID rearing its head to skyrocketing inflation to increasing rates of loneliness and feelings of disconnect, it’s been tough to feel real unity among us, even as we all experience these hardships together. Another thing we all have in common, though, is our access to media — but feel-good stories about cute animals becoming friends and 90-year-olds giving dating advice aren’t what’s been getting me through this era of bad news. It’s hot celebrity gossip. And when that hot gossip is the unlikely pairing of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet hard launching at a Beyoncé concert? I’m sitting front row, elbow deep in popcorn and ready for the show.

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