Summary

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

  • Ferraris out in second session, Verstappen could spring surprise

  • Get involved #bbcf1

  1. Thanks and goodbyepublished at 16:00 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    That's all for today and we will be back at 12:30 BST with all the build-up to the race starting at 14:10 BST.

    As always thanks for your company and comments. Have a nice Saturday and see you all for race day tomorrow.

  2. Hamilton on pole in Belgium - read the reportpublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    Lewis HamiltonImage source, EPA

    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.

  3. 'A true superhero'published at 15:53 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

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  4. Another one for the collectionpublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

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  5. 'P13 and P14 not as exciting as P1'published at 15:47 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    It's been a bad weekend for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc 13th and Sebastian Vettel 14th.

    Here's what Vettel had to say: "This is the true picture of what the car can do. We tried everything. We are not where we want to be but that's not the first qualifying and first race where that has been the case.

    "It is my job and i still like driving. P13 and P14 is not as exciting as P1. This morning it looked like we wouldn't get out of Q1 so obviously it was not a success but what we could do."

  6. 'We can't expect miracles'published at 15:44 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    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."

  7. Who is the current King of Spa?published at 15:36 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    .Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Raikkonen won the Belgium Grand Prix four times in five years from 2004

    Lewis Hamilton is favourite to win this weekend and has triumphed in Belgium three times previously - 2010, 2015 and 2017.

    However, he isn't the most successful current driver at Spa. That honour falls to Kimi Raikkonen, who has four race wins in Belgium - although his last was over a decade ago (2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009).

    Kimi's going to have to go some to win tomorrow, starting 16th in his Alfa Romeo.

  8. get involved

    Get Involved #bbcf1published at 15:30 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    Hamilton on pole for Belgian Grand Prix

    JV: If Max can get off the line well and beat Bottas out of La Source then with a toe on the Kemmel straight the braking zone of Les Combes could be interesting.

    Rachel T: Pole number 93 for Hamilton. Light years ahead of everyone else, including his teammate. Stunning.

    Sho: Another race weekend. Another pole for Lewis. Same old same old.

  9. 'I hope the weather comes into play and makes it more fun'published at 15:28 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who qualified third, says: "It's been a positive weekend - we came here and thought it would be really tricky. With P3 and being that close to Valtteri - although we are still half a second off Lewis - the lap was decent

    "Yeah I ran out of energy a little bit but it is distributed across the whole lap which is the best way to do it. Pleased with the day, and there's a lot of opportunity tomorrow.

    "If you look at the lap time off to Lewis, I don't think we can fight them in the race, but with the weather I hope it comes into play, and it will make it more fun."

  10. 'I need to attack to keep my title hopes there'published at 15:26 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas, who starts second, says: "Turn One was a bit inconsistent, we got the car right and I had a bit of a lock-up. The second run felt pretty good overall so I don't know where the gap to Lewis was.

    "I'm not too bothered as I know second place is a good place to start with such a good run up to Turn One.

    "I need to attack if I want to keep my title hopes there and nothing is over until it's over so I'm definitely going to go for it. I know there will be opportunities to do it."

  11. 'It was an important pole'published at 15:23 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    Lewis HamiltonImage source, EPA

    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."

  12. Postpublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

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

  13. Closing inpublished at 15:15 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    .Image source, 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.

  14. Provisional starting gridpublished at 15:08 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
    2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
    3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
    4. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault)
    5. Alexander Albon (Red Bull)
    6. Esteban Ocon (Renault)
    7. Carlos Sainz (McLaren)
    8. Sergio Perez (Racing Point)
    9. Lance Stroll (Racing Point)
    10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
    11. Daniil Kvyat (Alpha Tauri)
    12. Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri)
    13. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
    14. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
    15. George Russell (Williams)
    16. Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo)
    17. Romain Grosjean (Haas)
    18. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)
    19. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
    20. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
  15. Team radio - Hamiltonpublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    "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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  16. Top 10published at 15:05 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    1. Hamilton (Mercedes)
    2. Bottas (Mercedes)
    3. Verstappen (Red Bull)
    4. Ricciardo (Renault)
    5. Albon (Red Bull)
    6. Ocon (Renault)
    7. Sainz (McLaren)
    8. Perez (Racing Point)
    9. Stroll (Racing Point)
    10. Norris (McLaren)
  17. Postpublished at 15:03 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    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.

  18. Hamilton to start Belgian Grand Prix on pole positionpublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 29 August 2020
    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.

  19. New track recordpublished at 14:59 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

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  20. Postpublished at 14:59 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

    Bottas is improving but he needs to find six tenths of a second.