Summary

  • Hamilton takes sixth pole at Spa, Bottas 2nd, Verstappen 3rd

  • Ferraris out in second session, Verstappen could spring surprise

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Michael Emons

  1. Hamilton on pole in Belgium - read the report

    Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    Lewis HamiltonEPA

    Championship leader Lewis Hamilton set pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix half a second clear of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

    Hamilton was fastest on both laps in the final session and beat Bottas by 0.511secs. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was just 0.015secs off the Finn.

    Daniel Ricciardo excelled with fourth place on the grid, ahead of the second Red Bull of Alexander Albon.

    Ferrari struggled, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel down in 13th and 14th.

  2. 'A true superhero'

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  3. Another one for the collection

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  4. 'We can't expect miracles'

    Charles Leclerc doesn't have the answers to Ferrari's problems at the moment.

    "It's very difficult to find an explanation," says the Monaco man, who won in 2019 but starts 13th this year.

    It's a big step back to the others. We need to find the issue and address it. It's not a good day but it’s like this at the moment.

    "We have got to work hard and we have to keep our heads up in tough times like this. We can understand the fans are disappointed. We can’t expect any miracles."

  5. 'It was an important pole'

    Lewis HamiltonEPA

    Lewis Hamilton, who starts on pole position for a record sixth time at Spa: "Today was a very clean session. Every lap was getting better and better. There was a lot of great work in the background.

    "This was an important pole. I woke up today to the saddest news of Chadwick [Boseman] passing away.

    "It’s been such a heavy year for us all and that news broke me, so it wasn’t easy to get back focused. For what he’s done for our people and super heroes - to show the kids what's possible in life. Wakanda forever.

    "We had to get a tow, you’ve got three difficult sections here and wing level not easy. We’re not the strongest in the first and last sector but the middle we definitely are. I chose to go out first ahead of Valtteri. I didn’t want anything getting in my way.

    “I didn’t make any mistake and Q3 run first lap was ace. It’s was a very, very good lap, I’m happy with that."

  6. Time for some quotes from the key men, starting with Lewis Hamilton, who has just gained the 93rd pole of his career.

  7. Closing in

    .Getty Images

    Lewis Hamilton has 88 victories from 256 race starts. He is now just three short of Michael Schumacher’s record 91.

    Hamilton starts at the front tomorrow.

  8. Team radio - Hamilton

    "That one is [for] Chadwick, Chadwick Boseman. Rest in peace."

    Actor Chadwick Boseman, who starred in Black Panther, died aged 43 of colon cancer yesterday.

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  9. Max Verstappen gets third, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and the Dutchman was less than one tenth away from the front row and the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

  10. Hamilton to start Belgian Grand Prix on pole position
    Breaking

    He broke the track record with his first run, then does again with the second run.

    Lewis Hamilton, who has won four of the six races this season, is unstoppable in qualifying yet again. His second lap was an incredible 1:41.252 and a gap of more than five tenths clear of Valtteri Bottas.

    It's an all-Mercedes front row.

  11. New track record

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