No laps of note so far - all the drivers have laid down some rubber but they're all back in the garage. Prepare to see some of those halos out there soon.

So that's Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz, Nico Hulkenberg and Nico Rosberg with the safety device on for first practice.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Spa-Francorchamps

Image source, Getty Images

Manor's new man Esteban Ocon, who is strongly tipped to get a full-time race seat with Renault in 2017, said: “Age is just a number. You have to show people you're capable and then deliver when you're here, like Max (Verstappen) did. It’s a great opportunity for me to be driving here. It’s great to start in Spa. It’s a track I know which will help me up to speed.

"Let’s see how it goes. I feel like I had the best preparation I could get. It has been quite a long time I have been around in the paddock and driving F1 cars. I am ready to take the step.

"It would be good to score some points and I need to learn the team and how they work and get up to speed and learn from Pascal. He is a great driver and he has been quick through all the season and I will need to learn from him and get up to speed on qualifying.”   

Christopher: Could Hamilton deliberately have an "incident" in practice to get his 3rd reprimand and penalty out of the way this weekend also?

In case you missed it Christopher, Allan McNish just answered your question on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

"I would always be a bit nervous that the stewards have the ability to take whatever decision they want. And would you want to risk another reprimand?"

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Spa-Francorchamps

Image source, Getty Images

There is a new face at Manor this weekend, with Frenchman Esteban Ocon replacing Indonesia’s Rio Haryanto, whose sponsorship money ran dry.

Ocon, 19, is Renault’s reserve driver but is on secondment there from Mercedes, where he is part of the young driver programme, and who have facilitated his race seat.

As such, the rest of this season is effectively a shoot-out between Ocon and new team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, another Mercedes protege, for the German marque’s motorsport boss Toto Wolff to get a sense of who is the best prospect for the future.

That's it. Your break is over. Time to get to work. There's the roar of an engine to get you all riled up.

Jolyon Palmer is the first man to leave the pits and first practice is under way at Spa.

So, 25 years ago Michael Schumacher got his break in F1 courtesy of another driver being arrested for an altercation with a taxi driver (really, read this if you don't believe me).

What other lucky breaks in sport have gone to change careers?

Use #bbcf1 to give us your suggestions.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Spa-Francorchamps

The leading drivers have made little secret of their dissatisfaction with the decision at the end of last month to delay the introduction of increased cockpit head protection until 2018. 

The reasoning behind the decision was to give more time to test it, to ensure there were no so-far unforeseen risks. That testing process starts this weekend, with Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg planning to try it in first practice.

Rosberg said: “It’s good because it’s such a potential to improve our safety and I am very happy to be trying it tomorrow. let’s see how it goes. One run, a couple of laps, which is enough to understand if it’s good or not.”

The plan is for every driver to run it at least once between now and the end of the season.    

Gary Anderson, Jordan's technical director in 1991, tells the story of Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 debut at the Belgian Grand Prix 25 years ago.

Image source, Getty Images

Did you manage to catch the special 5 live documentary looking back at Michael Schumacher's F1 debut last night?

Don't worry, if not. It's ready for you to download here.

It's an intriguing exploration into how the imprisonment of Jordan driver Bertrand Gachot paved the way for the arrival of Schumacher - and seven world titles later, the rest was history.

Was it fate?

Image source, Getty Images

One for the Senna fans - it's 26 years to the day that Ayrton won the Belgium Grand Prix, his 25th career win. This was, of course, at the height of Senna's rivalry with Alain Prost.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Spa-Francorchamps

Lewis Hamilton went into the summer break in August on the back of a remarkable run of six wins in seven races, turning a 43-point deficit after the first five races of the season into a 19-point lead.

It was always going to come to an end at some point, and the chances are that point is now - Hamilton goes into the weekend knowing already he will start somewhere at the back because of grid penalties for using too many engine parts.

But he is putting on a brave face, saying “it is what it is” and even saying he was looking forward to the challenge of what he knows will be a weekend of “damage limitation”.    

Image source, Getty Images

So, what can Lewis Hamilton do from the back of the grid in two days' time?

"In terms of winning, that's the goal, but it will be very hard," he said.

"The gap has closed with the cars. Red Bull have been very quick in some races, and Ferrari, so it will be harder than last year to climb through the field but I will do everything I can.

"It is about minimising the damage of taking the penalty. "It is a team sport. It is a growing experience for us and we have learnt a lot from the issues we had and hopefully we won't have them again."

In a highlight of press day, Hamilton tried to work out exactly what is a feasible finish this weekend - Fernando Alonso leaned in and told him "fourth". So there you go then.

One man who might wish he never woke up from the summer slumber is Lewis Hamilton.

The world champion has needed more tinkering to his engine this weekend and has used the maximum number of permitted engine parts.

It's expected he will start at the back of the grid at this weekend's Belgian GP.

He is 19 points clear of team-mate Nico Rosberg in the drivers' standings, with the German now favourite to pick up the 25 points for the race win.

Not that Hamilton looks too unhappy about it.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Here's what's happening today and how to stay across the action:

First practice - 09:00 BST with commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online from 08:55 BST

Second practice - 13:00 BST  with commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online from 12:55 BST

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Spa-Francorchamps

It’s Spa, but not as you would know it. The magnificent and world-famous circuit in Belgium’s Ardennes forests is as renowned for its atrocious and unpredictable weather as it is for the challenge it provides to Formula 1 drivers with its mix of demanding corners over 4.3 sweeping miles.

But it is presenting a very different face this weekend. Thursday saw glorious sunshine - not unknown here, to be fair - but also temperatures well above 30C - which in more than 20 years or so of coming here I don’t think I’ve ever experienced. Friday has also dawned glorious and the whole weekend is expected to be like this. It’s taking some time to get used to.

Image source, Getty Images

Yup. After 26 days on a sun lounger, tanning its tyres and licking on petroleum ice creams, the Formula 1 circus is ready to roll back into town.

And that town this weekend is Spa for the legendary Belgian Grand Prix.

It's one to shake off the cobwebs.

Wakey wakey. Rise and shine.

Come out of the darkness. Blink. Let your eyes breathe in the light.

Don't be scared. Not much has changed.

What's that you ask? How long have you been asleep?

Four weeks.

Yes. I know. But the F1 summer hibernation is over. Time to put the key in the ignition.