Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

One of the challenges that Norris might have – it is a long lap, you can’t just do one flying lap and then another – you need a slow-down lap.

It could be that his second flying lap is pushed into when the conditions are worse.

16. Nico Hulkenberg

17. Lando Norris

18. Zhou Guanyu

19. Lance Stroll

20. Valtteri Bottas

Image source, Reuters

Max Verstappen is hitting purple sectors in the Red Bull as he becomes the latest driver to attempt a hot lap on the green inters. The Dutchman shoots to the top with a 1:56.003.

Oscar Piastri is second and Lewis Hamilton has found some grip in the Mercedes to slot into P3.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

They are all learning about the circuit and figure out where there is grip and where there isn’t. Can you get the tyres and brake temperatures into any kind of performance.

You can only do it on the out-lap. Next lap, you don’t have any choice.

Lando Norris is quickest in the middle sector as Lewis Hamilton informs Mercedes he has "no grip".

Norris is wrestling with his car but crosses the line to clock a 1:58.894. Nico Hulkenberg goes faster in the Haas and Oscar Piastri then goes to the top of the timesheets, 1.483 seconds than his McLaren team-mate.

The green intermediate tyres are bolted on across the field and Lando Norris is doing as he was told and is preparing to post a timed lap on the board as quick as possible.

Two minutes for the rain, Norris is informed.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

You need to be on the track at the right time with the right tyres on.

Easy to say – doing it is a different thing altogether.

You need the car heavily fuelled, unlike a dry session, because you want to be out there on track.

McLaren think the best strategy is to get a banker lap in straight away before the rain returns.

Image source, Getty Images

The Ardennes forest is looking very atmospheric with low clouds hovering over the circuit. There is no rain currently but the track is still wet.

Over in the pit lane, the two Haas boys try and muscle their way into the queue in front of Oscar Piastri. "Yeah, that was dangerous," says the Australian.

Image source, Getty Images

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You can send us your questions to our F1 correspondent Andrew Benson, day or night, via the link here.

Max Verstappen has already done his first racing of the day - a remote control car race with Belgian rally driver Thierry Neuville.

Judging by the second photo, Verstappen might have finished runner-up.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

With Alpine's Esteban Ocon securing his spot on the 2025 line-up with a move to Haas on a multi-year deal, time is running out for the other drivers who are out of contract at the end of this season to claim a place on the grid for next year.

So, with Mercedes, RB, Alpine, Williams and Sauber all with one seat available, here are the drivers who are still searching for a new F1 home:

• Carlos Sainz
• Daniel Ricciardo
• Kevin Magnussen
• Logan Sargeant
• Valtteri Bottas
• Zhou Guanyu

I'm no expert lip reader, but Christian Horner just asked Sergio Perez if he was OK, then made a 'eyes down, stay focused' motion with his hand.

Image source, Getty Images

The rumour mill has been swirling non-stop about Sergio Perez's future at constructors' champions Red Bull, with RB's Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, plus reserve driver Liam Lawson, all being linked with the Mexican's seat.

Perez will be hoping for a strong qualifying performance at Spa-Francorchamps, and not a repeat of the four Q1 exits he has already suffered so far this season.

He has qualified on the front row of the grid in P2 twice in 2024, alongside team-mate polesitter Max Verstappen on both occasions, at the Japanese and Chinese Grands Prix earlier in the campaign.

But Perez's form since Imola in May has seen him only make the top-10 shootout once (at Austria) in the past seven race weekends.

Image source, Getty Images

With the resurgence of McLaren as a true contender to Red Bull's dominance, Lando Norris has become a safe bet to take pole position this year.

The Briton has collected two Pirelli tyre awards this season: one in Spain and the other at last weekend's eventful Hungarian Grand Prix. But converting his prime spot on the grid into a race victory has, up to now, eluded Norris.

He snatched pole away from rival Max Verstappen in Barcelona but then lost out in a tight strategic battle with the Dutchman to finish second in the grand prix.

In Hungary, Norris was again the fastest car on track, securing pole in a qualifying one-two with team-mate Oscar Piastri. However, a slow start off the line saw Australian Piastri pass him at the first corner, before the race descended into a team orders nightmare for McLaren, following their decision to pit Norris first before leader Piastri.

Ian Fergusson
BBC weather forecaster

After earlier rain, there's an effectively dry lull currently.

However, radar shows further rain developing from SW.

FIA forecasters advise teams of increasing risk by 15:00 BST.

Image source, Reuters

The main objective for Max Verstappen today is to stick his Red Bull on pole position to help minimise the damage of that 10-place grid penalty on Sunday.

Verstappen is without a win since the Spanish Grand Prix last month and with Lando Norris creeping up behind him in the title race, the Dutchman says the team is ready if the grand prix throws up some excitement.

"Some tracks naturally are a bit better than others," said Verstappen. "Of course, on a street circuit, you wouldn't want to have an engine penalty.

"If you look at our last few races where we haven't particularly been the fastest, I wouldn't say that with 10 places extra we have a chance of winning. But again, a race can always be turned upside down with moments.

"We have to be open-minded and try to make the best of it. That's what we'll try to do."

Image source, Getty Images

The weather was also changeable during last year's pole position scrap, however, the rain did subside an hour before qualifying in 2023, leaving the drivers to fight it out on a drying track.

Max Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc by 0.820 seconds to claim pole but just like this year's race, the Dutchman was carrying a grid penalty into the following day's grand prix, so his P1 became P6.

This year his penalty is a 10-place grid drop - five more than last year - for taking a fifth internal combustion engine - exceeding his allocated number of power units for the season.

Leclerc, who started on pole - edged the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez by 0.057secs, with Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes fourth fastest.

For the drivers who did manage a few laps on the intermediate tyres before Lance Stroll's crash, these were the quickest three times posted:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 2:01.565

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 2:02.998

3. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 2:03.175

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The Aston Martin mechanics are hard at work on Lance Stroll's side of the garage - with a helping hand from Fernando Alonso's crew - following the Canadian's heavy crash in third practice.

With the rain hammering down, Stroll suffered a twitch heading into Eau Rouge, causing him to lose control and spin into the run-off area, before finally coming to a stop after a thump with the barriers.

The red flag was shown and after being assessed in the medical centre, Aston Martin said Stroll was back at the team’s hospitality and OK.