Summary

  • Rosberg secures pole position, Verstappen second in qualifying

  • Hamilton uses another engine - grid penalty now 55 places

  • Defending world champion will start from back of the grid

  • Verstappen second, youngest driver ever on front of grid

  • Alonso 30-place penalty, Ericsson 10-place penalty, Gutierrez 5-place penalty

  1. get involved

    Get Involved - Your Spa picspublished at 12:52 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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    You can't see the cars for the trees, Gareth.

  2. Where will Button be?published at 12:49 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    ButtONImage source, AFP

    The rumour and speculation over Jenson Button's future at McLaren rumbles on.

    Some are saying he will leave - but Button is remaining coy.

    "I had a really good summer," he tells Sky Sports. "A very important summer.

    "I'm in a good place and you'll know soon enough. If I'm here we need to come to an agreement - it's not in one individual's hands."

  3. get involved

    Get Involved - Your Spa picspublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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  4. Postpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    All that hubbub around Lewis Hamilton's car half an hour or so ago was for a component change and not an engine change, we are told.

    But there is a possibility Fernando Alonso could require another engine change.

    It's becoming a race to the back of the grid between Hamilton and Alonso.

  5. It's hot, baby!published at 12:44 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

  6. get involved

    Get Involved - Your Spa picspublished at 12:43 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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  7. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 12:42 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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    John Kirriemuir: Will Hamilton attempt to drive tactically in qualifying, just ahead of Rosberg but only tootling along at 30mph?

    Jeremiah Kariuki: Why heap 55 grid penalties when a driver can only take 22? Or is it for Guinness Book of Records? Ridiculous! 

  8. Enter Schumipublished at 12:41 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    You may have noticed we have some lovely stuff kicking around about Michael Schumacher's F1 debut 25 years ago.

    It was a curious set of circumstances that led to the seven-time world champion getting his break.

    Listen to this BBC Radio 5 live documentary about it here - or take a listen to Mark Gallagher, formerly of Jordan, discussing the German's career below.

    Media caption,

    How Michael Schumacher got his big break with Jordan

  9. get involved

    Get Involved - Your Spa picspublished at 12:37 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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    There's always one...

  10. Postpublished at 12:36 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    Could the last driver to not get a grid penalty turn the lights off on the way out please? Ta.

  11. Another penaltypublished at 12:35 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    Esteban Gutierrez has been given a five-place grid penalty for impeding Pascal Wehrlein in final practice.

    Kevin Magnussen is given no punishment for an incident with Sebastian Vettel.

  12. A perfect marriagepublished at 12:33 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    Actually, it's not been a bad month for Kimi.

    Top of final practice and marriage to Minttu Virtanen in Tuscany.

    It's good to be the Ice Man.

  13. get involved

    Get Involved - Your favourite corner namespublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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    Blackburn Lad: Knicker Brook at Oulton Park 

    James Reeves: Corner names..Variante del Rettifilo, Tamburello. Spa is good too; Blanchimont just sounds intimidating before you even get there

    Tom Gosden: Got to be The Bomb Hole at Snetterton

  14. Dreams of a Kimi winpublished at 12:29 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    Could Kimi Raikkonen win the Belgian GP, after topping final practice?

    My heart says 'yes'. In fact, my heart shouts 'YES! YES! YES!' from the rooftops in honour of the flying Finn.

    But my head says 'no'. Sensible head.

    But if - and it's a big if - Kimi were to go all the way this weekend, the Iceman would claim his fifth Belgian GP victory, moving one clear of Jim Clark and level with Ayrton Senna.

    Ah, to dream a dream.

    Bel GpsImage source, .
  15. get involved

    Get Involved - Your Spa picspublished at 12:25 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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    Love the panorama setting. C'est superb.

  16. Dutch cornerpublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    Max Verstappen is so popular among the spa crowd, that there was an orange flair launched in his honour.

    In the Tour de France, on the climb up Alpe d'Huez, there's a bit of road called Dutch corner - renowned for the bonkers Dutch fans that gather there.

    Every corner of Spa is Dutch corner this weekend.

  17. Postpublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    But, that may be unlikely.

    Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Sky Sports: “We will be investigating and looking at the sensor and create a form of diagnosis from there."

    He added - at the time of talking an hour ago - they were not looking at changing the gearbox.

  18. Busy garagespublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    VerstappenImage source, Getty Images

    The shell is off Lewis Hamilton's car and there are engineers hustling around it. More engine changes? Probably.

    They have 40 minutes to get that Mercedes ready for qualifying.

    Another car with a hoard of busy workers swarming in on it is Max Verstappen's Red Bull.

    The Dutchman, well backed by travelling fans today, had a gearbox issue in final practice.

    If they have to change the gearbox, that will mean penalties.

  19. get involved

    Get Involved - Your Spa picspublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

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  20. Why will Hamilton even bother with qualifying?published at 12:12 British Summer Time 27 August 2016

    There's a simple answer.

    Cars have to set a time in first qualifying within 107% of the quickest time in that session. Fail to do that, and you might not get to race.

    So Lewis Hamilton will be out there for Q1, but might not bother with anything else.