Image source, AP

Today is Nico Rosberg's second pole at the Belgian GP, but he's still without a race victory here after second place in the last two.

Surely he'll have no better chance than today, with his biggest rival 20 cars away on the grid.

Karel Strosse: Rosberg's practice starts not at all convincing. I can see him lose the lead before Turn One.

Dan Dungworth: Backing Lewis to the podium today! Max to win!

Tim Cheesman: This epic battle for the right to start at the very back of the grid will go down in history as one of the great F1 rivalries.

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Michael Schumacher loved racing at Spa - and the numbers show it.

The German's six wins are incomparable, with Ayrton Senna on five.

The closest current driver is Kimi Raikkonen, and even the most ardent fan of the Iceman would struggle to see a race win this weekend.

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton are on two victories apiece. It's a stretch, but could one of them add to that?

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.

Two in fact.

Pop star Professor Green and England's all-time leading wicket taker James Anderson are on the grid.

Speaking on the grid Fernando Alonso says: "It is going to be a tough race, we know that we are missing a bit of straight line speed so overtaking will be difficult."

Image source, Getty Images

Jenson Button wasted little time in singing his own praises after qualifying, saying his lap for ninth on the grid was one of the best of his career, and possibly better than the one that netted him pole in 2012, when he was 0.8 seconds faster than then-team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

It may sound a bit churlish to say it, but the problem is there was nothing to compare it to, as team-mate Fernando Alonso has been hit by engine problems all weekend and managed only 500 metres in qualifying before his car ground to a halt at the top of Eau Rouge.

In final practice, despite a truncated programme, the Spaniard was 0.2secs quicker than Button, and on merit has out-qualified him seven-two so far this season. But Button had an open goal and took it - and who can blame him with serious question marks hanging over his future?

The strong word in the paddock is McLaren will pick Stoffel Vandoorne instead, and that leaves Button with the option of Williams or retirement from F1. As things stand, the feeling is that it will be the latter.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Spa-Francorchamps

Image source, AFP

Kimi Raikkonen’s rebound in form continues this weekend in Belgium and he has now out-qualified team-mate Sebastian Vettel in three of the last four races.

Raikkonen always goes well at Spa, his smooth, elegant style working well in the precision-demanding corners of the middle sector, in a similar fashion to Jenson Button. But he was disappointed with third.

“It’s nice to be close but obviously we’d rather be on pole position,” he said. “I thought we had a good chance but I lost some time at the last chicane.” Vettel, who also lost time in the chicane as his tyres ran out of grip, admitted Raikkonen had just done a better job.

A champagne recordpublished at 12:40 British Summer Time 28 August 2016

12:40 BST 28 August 2016

Image source, Getty Images

The title of this image on Getty is 'Lot of bottles'.

No disputing that. And there's no disputing the calibre of the man in the picture - Jim Clark.

He and Ayrton Senna both made the Belgian Grand Prix 'theirs' with four successive wins at the track (Clark 1962-65 & Senna 1988-1991).

Nice one mum!

Image source, Rex Features

Winning from the back of the grid you say?

Impossible you say?

Not so, I say.

The furthest back anyone has ever won a grand prix from is 22nd - the same position Lewis Hamilton will start from tomorrow..

Belfast-born John Watson was in 22nd position when he began the 1983 United States Grand Prix West and took a remarkable victory.

We have a precedent.

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If, by miracles of miracles, Hamilton could muster a win on Sunday, he'd move on to 50 career victories - just 41 more to go to catch Michael Schumacher.  

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Lewis Hamilton is 19 points ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in the championship standings.

Should Rosberg win the race, seventh place for Hamilton would keep him level on points with his title rival.