Lewis Hamilton storms to Belgian Grand Prix pole position as Ferrari endure miserable day
Lewis Hamilton continued his dominance of the Formula One season by putting his Mercedes on pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who holds a 37-point championship lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen, beat team-mate Valtteri Bottas to top spot with a new track record at Spa-Francorchamps.
The world champion saw off Bottas' challenge around the iconic 4.3-mile venue in the Ardennes by a mighty half-a-second. Verstappen lines up in third ahead of Renault's Daniel Ricciardo.
"That one was for Chadwick [Boseman]," said Hamilton, in reference to the Hollywood star who died on Saturday. "Rest in peace, mate."
After Sebastian Vettel finished rooted to the foot of the timings in final practice, Ferrari had been staring at one of the most humiliating afternoons in the Italian team's long history.
However, very much against the odds, both scarlet cars survived the embarrassment of being knocked out in Q1.
Instead, Leclerc, who won from pole here last year, will start 13th - one spot ahead of team-mate Vettel in what is proving to be a season to forget for the Scuderia.
"F--- there's not much more I can do," said a despondent Leclerc on the radio.
British driver Hamilton, though, remains firmly on course to match Michael Schumacher's record seven championships.
The pack had appeared closer to the all-black machines heading into qualifying.
But Mercedes, and in particular its star driver, proved their class by locking out the front row for a sixth time in seven rounds.
They have taken pole at all of the races this year, with Hamilton claiming his fifth pole of 2020 here and sixth at Spa.
"It is a really important pole because I woke up to the saddest news of Chadwick passing away," said Hamilton.
"It has been such a heavy year for all of us, and that news just broke me so it was not easy to get back into focus with that in my heart.
"But I wanted to drive to perfection for what he has done for our people."
Ferrari have led the challenge to Mercedes in recent seasons but they have suffered following an FIA investigation into the engine they used last year.
Indeed, it shows how far the sport's most successful team has fallen that locking out the seventh row of the grid will be considered something of a decent result.
Further questions will continue to be asked of Ferrari, and the team's beleaguered boss, Mattia Binotto at their home race in Monza and their 1,000th Grand Prix at Mugello a week later.
British driver Lando Norris finished 10th in his McLaren while George Russell out-qualified his Williams team-mate Nicholas Latifi for a seventh time in as many rounds. The young Briton lines up in 15th, just behind the Ferrari pair.
Final positions after qualifying
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo, Renault
Alexander Albom, Red Bull
Esteban Ocon, Renault
Carlos Sainz, McLaren
Sergio Perez, Racing Point
Lance Stroll, Racing Point
Lando Norris, McLaren
Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri
Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
George Russell, Williams
Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo
Romain Grosjean, Haas
Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo
Nicholas Latifi, Williams
Kevin Magnussen, Haas
02:20 PMThat's it from me today
That's it from me today
Hamilton: unbeatable. I'll be back tomorrow. Will be an interesting run towards Les Combes...
02:11 PMWakanda Salute from Hamilton
02:08 PMThat qualifying sums up where Bottas is
Wakanda Salute from Hamilton
02:08 PMThat qualifying sums up where Bottas is
That qualifying sums up where Bottas is
I'm afraid to say his 2020 is starting to look a bit more like 2018 (a bad year) than 2019 (a good year) for him. Granted, it's a longer lap here but half a second is not good.
02:05 PMQ3 classification
- HAM 1.41.252
- BOT +0.511
- VER +0.526
- RIC +0.809
- ALB +1.012
- OCO +1.144
- SAI +1.186
- PER +1.280
- STR +1.351
- NOR +1.405
02:03 PMLewis Hamilton takes pole position for the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix
Q3 classification
- HAM 1.41.252
- BOT +0.511
- VER +0.526
- RIC +0.809
- ALB +1.012
- OCO +1.144
- SAI +1.186
- PER +1.280
- STR +1.351
- NOR +1.405
02:03 PMLewis Hamilton takes pole position for the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton takes pole position for the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix
Nobody in his league today. "That one was for Chadwick. Chadwick Boseman." Verstappen was 0.015s away from beating Bottas. Great lap. He's annoyed at that, but it was a great lap. Albon did end up half a second behind him in the end, though he did help give him a tow so that explains some of it.
02:02 PMQUALIFYING ENDS
QUALIFYING ENDS
Albon goes fifth, Verstappen goes third! Norris having a bit of a poor lap. Ricciardo has made a mess of his second run here and won't be able to move up to third but can he stay fourth?
Norris stays 10th... Ocon goes 6th above Sainz! But Sainz has another go... he can't improve... Ricciardo dives into the pits after his poor lap...
02:01 PMQ3 - Hamilton cruising to his easiest pole of the season here...
Q3 - Hamilton cruising to his easiest pole of the season here...
Albon a bit of a scruffy sector one. Hamilton sets the fastest middle sector, ragging it out on the kerbs. Bottas loses another tenth in the middle sector...
Hamilton improves by two tenths and that will almost certainly be pole. Bottas is half a second off...
02:00 PMQ3 - Hamilton quicker than his previous time after one sector
Q3 - Hamilton quicker than his previous time after one sector
Bottas 0.174s down ALREADY...
01:59 PMQ3 - Two minutes to go
Q3 - Two minutes to go
Bottas has time to find, so does Lando Norris...
The final runs are starting, Hamilton out front...
01:58 PMQ3 - Cars out for their final runs
Q3 - Cars out for their final runs
Bottas not putting up much resistance so far today. Can Verstappen jump Ricciardo here? Can Albon keep close to his team-mate? We are about to find out...
Renault going for the tow, with Ocon the man out front.
01:55 PMQ3 - Order and gaps after the first runs
- HAM
- BOT +0.578
- RIC +0.610
- VER +0.629
- ALB +0.813
- SAI +0.987
- OCO +1.002
- PER +1.081
- STR +1.152
- NOR +1.957
Q3 - Order and gaps after the first runs
- HAM
- BOT +0.578
- RIC +0.610
- VER +0.629
- ALB +0.813
- SAI +0.987
- OCO +1.002
- PER +1.081
- STR +1.152
- NOR +1.957
Norris must have messed up his lap to be a second off Sainz. So improvement due there.
01:55 PMQ3 - Hamilton in a league of his own, here
Q3 - Hamilton in a league of his own, here
Bottas must have had a very scruffy lap to be that far off and in danger of being behind Ricciardo. I didn't believe his middle sector time when I first saw it. Albon within two tenths of Verstappen, much better. Not sure what's up with the Racing Points... perhaps old soft tyres.
01:54 PMQ3 - Hamilton with a 42.588s in sector two...
Q3 - Hamilton with a 42.588s in sector two...
Bottas? 43.024...POOR.
Hamilton goes quickest with a 1.41.451...
Bottas is six tenths behind. Ricciardo puts in a stunning time, within a tenth of Bottas for third! Stroll only ninth...Verstappen fourth...
01:52 PMQ3 - Hamilton sets a 30.463 in S1
Q3 - Hamilton sets a 30.463 in S1
What can Bottas do? 30.704s, MILES behind...
Ricciardo quickest in the slippery Renault in S1 but he won't hold that advantage come the finish line
01:50 PMQ3 - What can Albon do here?
Q3 - What can Albon do here?
Looking like a solid half-a-second behind Verstappen here. Fair to say that in 12 months his qualifying performances have not improved. Ricciardo is out on track after not doing a second run in Q2.
01:49 PMRight, with Ferrari's dramas out of the picture
Right, with Ferrari's dramas out of the picture
We could do with some drama here.
Q3 begins and Hamilton is keen to get out and get going.
01:48 PMThis is obviously not brilliant overall
This is obviously not brilliant overall
But it is excellent progress from Williams.
That'll do it for our Qualifying session 🏁#BelgianGP 🇧🇪 | #WeAreWilliams 💙 pic.twitter.com/zTpwI73u6u
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) August 29, 2020
01:45 PMBit of a turnaround in 12 months
"F***, there is not much more I can do," says Leclerc. Last year's pole sitter and winner qualifies 13th, one spot ahead of team-mate Vettel.
— Philip Duncan (@PhilDuncanF1) August 29, 2020
Bit of a turnaround in 12 months
"F***, there is not much more I can do," says Leclerc. Last year's pole sitter and winner qualifies 13th, one spot ahead of team-mate Vettel.
— Philip Duncan (@PhilDuncanF1) August 29, 2020
How good do his two podiums this season look?
01:44 PMKvyat ahead of Gasly in qualifying for the first time this season
Kvyat ahead of Gasly in qualifying for the first time this season
Close to getting through, too.
+0.008
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) August 29, 2020
That’s all that was in it between @kvyatofficial and Q3 😑 On the positive side, free tyre choice tomorrow 👍 (if it’s dry) @PierreGASLY was 0.023 off Q3 and will line up P12. Nothing it it! pic.twitter.com/ti7yhncPaK
01:43 PMQ2 ends - both Ferraris out...
Q2 ends - both Ferraris out...
OUT: KVY, GAS, LEC, VET, RUS
Through:
- HAM
- BOT
- ALB
- VER
- SAI
- RIC
- STR
- OCO
- PER
- NOR
Albon through but he had to burn a set of soft tyres (which he will start on) to do so. It's looking pretty tight between Renault, Racing Point and McLaren. And Albon...
01:42 PMQ2 - Final runs underway
Q2 - Final runs underway
Perez goes sixth, Stroll fifth! Russell only 13th... Leclerc now 13th! Kvyat 9th, ahead of his team-mate. Now Norris 9th! Ocon P6 with a super quick final sector. Sainz 4th! Vettel, what can he do? P14! Only ahead of George Russell...
Verstappen and the Mercedes cars abandon their laps.
01:40 PMQ2 - Stroll goes quickest in sector one
Q2 - Stroll goes quickest in sector one
Russell doesn't have a very good first sector unfortunately. It's all pretty tight in S1 but S2 and S3 is where the lap is made.
01:39 PMQ2 - Ricciardo not out there
Q2 - Ricciardo not out there
He complained of a brake-by-wire problem. He's in P4 and should be okay but he will be looking on with a little concern, I'd imagine.
01:38 PMQ2 - Four minutes to go
Q2 - Four minutes to go
Verstappen does indeed go out on the red marked soft tyres. Stroll and Perez should get comfortably through on the soft tyres, though a mistake will be very costly.
01:35 PMQ2 - Mercedes pretty safe there
Q2 - Mercedes pretty safe there
Verstappen likewise. Probably. Though he may do a safety run on softs. All of the top 10 within a second but fairly staggered.
01:33 PMQ2 - Classification after the first runs
- HAM Medium tyres
- BOT M
- VER M
- RIC Soft tyres
- OCO S
- ALB S
- GAS S
- NOR S
- SAI S
- KVY S
DROP ZONE: - STR M
- PER M
- VET S
- LEC S
- RUS (no time)
Q2 - Classification after the first runs
- HAM Medium tyres
- BOT M
- VER M
- RIC Soft tyres
- OCO S
- ALB S
- GAS S
- NOR S
- SAI S
- KVY S
DROP ZONE: - STR M
- PER M
- VET S
- LEC S
- RUS (no time)
Russell bailed out of his hot lap. Not sure why.
01:32 PMQ2 - Leclerc goes 13th...
Q2 - Leclerc goes 13th...
And on the softs. Vettel pips him to that spot a few moments later by a few tenths. Verstappen on the mediums goes third by under half a second and I think that might be enough for him to get through...
Leclerc has work to do to make Q3...
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 29, 2020
His first Q2 run sees him finish P14#BelgianGP 🇧🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/GpCXkcdEzZ
01:31 PMQ2 - A 1.42.014 for Hamilton...
Q2 - A 1.42.014 for Hamilton...
Just 0.112s slower for Bottas. Norris third, within a second, Sainz in 4th and a tenth further back. Stroll goes across the line on the mediums but I am not sure his time will be quick enough to progress. Both Mercedes on the mediums, too. Perez goes 11th just behind his team-mate. Think they will need to be switching to the soft tyres...
01:29 PMQ2 - Hamilton and Bottas on quick runs
Q2 - Hamilton and Bottas on quick runs
A 30.5s in the first sector for Hamilton, the same for Bottas but a 30.240s for Sainz. Mercedes have not been masters of sector one, but they claw it all back - and then some - in the rest of the lap. Hamilton ahead of Bottas currently after two sectors, how will it pan out?
01:26 PMQ2 begins!
Q2 begins!
Would be a miracle for Ferrari to get out of this one.
01:21 PMQ1 - Classification
Q1 - Classification
OUT: RAI, GRO, GIO, LAT, MAG
These drivers through. Well done George Russell. Tidy lap, that, and he shows his satisfaction over the radio.
- HAM
- BOT
- VER
- GAS
- STR
- KVY
- RIC
- SAI
- PER
- ALB
- OCO
- NOR
- VET
- RUS
- LEC
01:20 PMQ1 ends!
Q1 ends!
Vettel goes 13th! Leclerc goes 15th now, slipping down... Russell P14 at the moment. Decent! Latifi can't get out, only 17th. Giovinazzi likewise,. Raikkonen into P16! He can't dislodge Leclerc...
Ferrari have made it through with both cars... in P13 and P15. Leclerc through over Raikkonen by just under a tenth...
01:19 PMQ1 - Final runs underway
Q1 - Final runs underway
Leclerc is doing okay here but is it enough? Currently 14th, will be the first driver to cross the line...
It's 12th and that could be dodgy...
01:18 PMQ1 - Leclerc and Vettel without slipstreams here
Q1 - Leclerc and Vettel without slipstreams here
Could that be costly? Everyone gets through the final chicane okay, I think. At least without any great incident. Leclerc is definitely vulnerable here but he has had a few tenths on Vettel. Leclerc does his best first sector but Grosjean and Russell are quicker than him still...
This could be close for Ferrari. Vettel has a couple of tenths on his team-mate in sector one...
01:16 PMQ1 - As predicted
Q1 - As predicted
A gaggle of cars jockeying for position ahead of their final runs. Bit of a traffic jam and it, frankly, looks a bit silly. Leclerc has to get out of it through Pouhon. I can see an accident happening here...this is a mess.
01:15 PMQ1 - Four minutes left
Q1 - Four minutes left
Don't think anyone from the top three will be out again. Under two-tenths between Ricciardo in fourth and Norris in 11th.
01:14 PMQ1 - Decent lap from Albon
Q1 - Decent lap from Albon
Just 0.010s slower than Verstappen. That is, until Verstappen posts another lap to go third, 0.874s behind Hamilton's Mercedes.
01:12 PMQ1 - Order so far
- HAM
- BOT
- RIC
- SAI
- VER
- ALB
- STR
- GAS
- OCO
- PER
- NOR
- KVY
- RUS
- LEC
- GIO
DROP ZONE: - LAT
- RAI
- VET
- GRO
- MAG
Q1 - Order so far
- HAM
- BOT
- RIC
- SAI
- VER
- ALB
- STR
- GAS
- OCO
- PER
- NOR
- KVY
- RUS
- LEC
- GIO
DROP ZONE: - LAT
- RAI
- VET
- GRO
- MAG
It's very tight from around 13th to 18th, with around a tenth between them.
01:10 PMQ1 - Hamilton goes quickest
Q1 - Hamilton goes quickest
By pretty much a second over Ricciardo. Bottas then puts a lap 0.211s behind Hamilton. Trouble for Vettel, meanwhile, who is down in 18th, quicker only than Grosjean and Magnussen...
Oh. Dear.
First timed laps: #Charles16 1:44.228 and #Seb5 1:44.554. #Q1 #BelgianGP🇧🇪
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) August 29, 2020
01:10 PMQ1 - Now Sainz goes quickest!
Q1 - Now Sainz goes quickest!
That's a handy lap, 0.086s ahead of Verstappen. Ricciardo pips him, though, by just 0.013s.
Hamilton lining a lap up, though...
01:09 PMQ1 - Verstappen goes quickest
Q1 - Verstappen goes quickest
A 1.43.408 as Norris goes a tenth behind and Gasly goes within a tenth of Verstappen. Leclerc posts a 1.44.228 which is quicker only than the Haas cars.
01:08 PMQ1 - Verstappen has a clear track, though
Q1 - Verstappen has a clear track, though
Gets a bit twitchy at the rear out of turn one, which could cost him on the long, long, long, run down the Kemmel straight. It's a 31.091 which isn't especially quick as a first sector time, in fact some time behind the rapid Gasly, who is currently quickest in that bit of the track. Bit of a tow from his team-mate Kvyat, though.
What can Verstappen do in the rest of the lap?
01:06 PMQ1 - Pretty busy out on track now
Q1 - Pretty busy out on track now
Grosjean and Magnussen had the track to themselves, but the remaining 18 cars are all out together. Which could be problematic as the end of the lap comes into view. Ah, it's silly. The tow is worth a lot, in fairness, but still...
01:04 PMQ1 - Magnussen has a messy first sector
Q1 - Magnussen has a messy first sector
Grosjean, with the tow behind, is three tenths ahead after sector one. Magnussen sawing at the steering wheel through the trickier second sector, though he's a tenth up on his team-mate this time.
As they cross the line Grosjean is the quicker man by three-tenths.
01:02 PMQ1 - 17 minutes left
Q1 - 17 minutes left
Both Haas cars out. They had pretty rotten Fridays, Magnussen being restricted with how much he could run. Chance of one of them to sneak out of this session and into Q2, though.
Kevin and Romain are the first cars on track in Q1!
— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) August 29, 2020
Taking on the 🔴 soft tires. #HaasF1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/ViLWmqZcVY
01:00 PMRight, here we go
Right, here we go
Q1 begins. Will Ferrari make it through? Either of them? Both of them? Neither?
12:56 PMSky Sports F1 highlighting the problem of traffic in the final sector
Sky Sports F1 highlighting the problem of traffic in the final sector
In practice earlier today there was a lot of backing up towards the final chicane, which has a very high speed lead up. This is the longest track of the season yet somehow the drivers and teams can't get it all worked out to have enough space in front and behind them. Suspect the effect of the tow has something to do with it, but still. We could see a couple of penalties for blocking today.
12:53 PMRaw pace ranking throughout the year
Raw pace ranking throughout the year
This is calculated by taking a team's fastest single lap time over the course of the weekend and working out the remainder as a percentage. So 100.000% means that team set the fastest lap of the weekend. The list below is the averages of them so far in 2019.
- Mercedes 100.000%
- Red Bull 101.085%
- Racing Point 101.528%
- McLaren 101.555%
- Ferrari 101.740%
- Renault 101.896%
- AlphaTauri 101.966%
- Williams 102.948%
- Haas 103.077%
- Alfa Romeo 103.651%
It's pretty tight from third to seventh, with Mercedes out on their own, Red Bull similar and Williams, Haas and Alfa Romeo out the back on their own, Alfa particularly far adrift. With Renault looking in decent shape and Ferrari frankly not, the Scuderia could slip to sixth after today.
12:48 PM12 or so minutes to go until Q1 begins
12 or so minutes to go until Q1 begins
It's not really possible to look beyond Mercedes... again. But will it be Bottas or Hamilton? The conditions out there are not the most summery but there is little chance of rain for the session.
12:43 PMRemembering Anthoine Hubert
Remembering Anthoine Hubert
Hubert, an F2 driver, passed away following a crash at this track a year ago.
Supremely talented. Humble. Fun-loving.
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2020
Anthoine Hubert was a brilliant racer and loved by all those who knew him
This weekend - and always - we remember him#AH19 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9FZaWQpBzk
12:41 PMA week now since the sale of Williams was announced
A week now since the sale of Williams was announced
In some ways sad, in other ways encouraging. The team's immediate future has been secured. Oliver Brown wrote about the news last week:
On the surface, it was a victory for deputy team principal Claire Williams, in that the company, built by her father from scratch, has been allowed to preserve both its name and its Oxfordshire base. But at a deeper level, the sale offered a grim reflection on an operation that has slipped from third to last on the grid in just five years and whose financial model has been rendered unsustainable by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their 2020 season is a hell of a lot better than their 2019 season, but they are still firmly at the back and are the only team not to score a point this year.
12:39 PMFerrari's pain could get a lot worse
Ferrari's pain could get a lot worse
Monza next, a true power circuit for a car with no power, and then the Tuscan Grand Prix, currently billed as a celebration of Ferrari 1000th world championship Grand Prix. Plenty of pain ahead for Mattia Binotto and the boys...
12:21 PMCurrent driver standings after six rounds
Current driver standings after six rounds
Hamilton to win by...Imola?
12:18 PMIn case you missed it earlier this week
In case you missed it earlier this week
F1 has confirmed a revised and likely (hopefully) final 17-race schedule for 2020. That is quite remarkable given where we were in March and April and a lot of credit has to go to all those involved. It wasn't that long ago that 17-race seasons were the norm.
With six races done so far this year that leaves the following races.
- Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps August 30
- Italian Grand Prix, Monza, September 6
- Tuscan Grand Prix, Mugello, September 13
- Russian Grand Prix, Sochi, September 27
- Eifel Grand Prix, Nurburgring, October 11
- Portuguese Grand Prix, Algarve, October 25
- Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Imola, November 14
- Turkish Grand Prix, Istanbul Park, November 15
- Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir, November 29
- Sakhir Grand Prix, Bahrain, December 6
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina, December 13
As you can see it's pretty well packed with new or returning tracks, six of them in total if you count the new outer layout that will run for the Sakhir Grand Prix. That will be an interesting one...
12:10 PMThis is a lot of love for a Sports Utility Vehicle...
They love their @MercedesBenz cars just as much as we love them! 🥰#DrivingInnovation #OneTeam pic.twitter.com/qHqSnPrvET
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) August 29, 2020
11:59 AMFP3 times and classification
- Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 43.255secs
- Esteban Ocon (Fra) Renault 1:43.485
- Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:43.641
- Alexander Albon (Tha) Red Bull 1:43.731
- Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:43.813
- Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:43.896
- Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Renault 1:43.973
- Lance Stroll (Can) Racing Point 1:43.988
- Carlos Sainz (Spa) McLaren 1:44.006
- Sergio Perez (Mex) Racing Point 1:44.180
- Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:44.508
- Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:44.543
- Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams 1:44.771
- Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:44.841
- Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:44.844
- Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:44.932
- Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:45.147
- George Russell (Gbr) Williams 1:45.157
- Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:45.190
- Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:45.420
11:32 AMWelcome back F1 fans
This is a lot of love for a Sports Utility Vehicle...
They love their @MercedesBenz cars just as much as we love them! 🥰#DrivingInnovation #OneTeam pic.twitter.com/qHqSnPrvET
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) August 29, 2020
11:59 AMFP3 times and classification
- Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 43.255secs
- Esteban Ocon (Fra) Renault 1:43.485
- Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:43.641
- Alexander Albon (Tha) Red Bull 1:43.731
- Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:43.813
- Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:43.896
- Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Renault 1:43.973
- Lance Stroll (Can) Racing Point 1:43.988
- Carlos Sainz (Spa) McLaren 1:44.006
- Sergio Perez (Mex) Racing Point 1:44.180
- Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:44.508
- Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:44.543
- Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams 1:44.771
- Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:44.841
- Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:44.844
- Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:44.932
- Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:45.147
- George Russell (Gbr) Williams 1:45.157
- Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:45.190
- Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:45.420
11:32 AMWelcome back F1 fans
FP3 times and classification
- Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 43.255secs
- Esteban Ocon (Fra) Renault 1:43.485
- Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:43.641
- Alexander Albon (Tha) Red Bull 1:43.731
- Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:43.813
- Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:43.896
- Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Renault 1:43.973
- Lance Stroll (Can) Racing Point 1:43.988
- Carlos Sainz (Spa) McLaren 1:44.006
- Sergio Perez (Mex) Racing Point 1:44.180
- Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:44.508
- Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:44.543
- Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams 1:44.771
- Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:44.841
- Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:44.844
- Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:44.932
- Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:45.147
- George Russell (Gbr) Williams 1:45.157
- Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:45.190
- Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:45.420
11:32 AMWelcome back F1 fans
Welcome back F1 fans
I cannot say it is ever not a pleasure to have F1 cars ragging it around this 7km track in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, whatever the outcome, however boring the race. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is approximately a hundred times the track that hosted the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago, so let us hope for a more interesting weekend. On practice so far we have a hint that it may be but initial appearances can be deceptive and the chance of Mercedes running off into the distance without so much a whiff of competition is never that far away, is it?
Certainly, the running order in final practice this morning suggested that qualifying could throw up some more unusual results. Lewis Hamilton was quickest for Mercedes, but Esteban Ocon in the Renault was second, just over a couple of tenths behind. Lando Norris was a further two tenths back for McLaren whilst Valtteri Bottas failed to show his true pace, down in fifth, six-tenths away from his team-mate.
I expect that we will end up with a more familiar order in qualifying but it is difficult to overstate how badly Ferrari are struggling. If Friday was poor then this morning was close to embarrassing for the Italian outfit. Sebastian Vettel was slowest of all and Charles Leclerc was barely any better, three tenths quicker but only in 17th place, behind three other Ferrari-powered cars – both Haas drivers and Kimi Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo.
Remember that this was the track last year where Ferrari and Leclerc won their first race of the year, kickstarting their best run of form of 2019. This year there is a big question mark as to whether both cars will make it through to Q2. Their engine problems have been exposed here – although you have to question how both Haas cars are ahead. You wonder how bad it will be in a week's time at Monza...