MAX VERSTAPPEN will start the Belgian Grand Prix on pole, with a Brit second on the grid – but it’s not Lewis Hamilton.
George Russell produced one of the laps of his life to briefly set the fastest time in Spa before the Dutchman went faster.
Lewis Hamilton could only settle for third spot on the grid after a long delay following Lando Norris’ brutal crash.
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BUT HE IS BEATEN BY VERSTAPPEN
Heartbreak for Russell, who is dumped down to second, but still, what a result for the Brit.
He outqualifies Hamilton, who is third. The grid is Verstappen, Russell, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Vettel, Gasly, Perez, Bottas, Ocon, Norris.
RUSSELL TAKES PROVISIONAL POLE
The track is drying and the Brit smashes in a time at the top. Sensational stuff.
ONE MINUTE TO GO
Hamilton still on provisional pole from Perez and then Verstappen. They will all have one more go.
HAMILTON STRUGGLING
He is wrestling to keep that Merc on the road. He is fighting it. Spray going everywhere.
He completes the lap to take a provisional pole.
HAMILTON: “STILL A LOT OF SPRAY”
The world champion is out on track and his team tell him to pull back in again if he feels uncomfortable out there.
He is told that no rain is expected.
GREEN LIGHT
It will be a busy eight minutes and 59 seconds as qualifying gets underway after a 40 minute delay.
QUALIFYING WILL RESUME IN 2 MINUTES
Time to go again while there is a break in the rain.
SAFETY CAR OUT
They are checking on the conditions to see if qualifying can resume. It is still raining.
PLENTY OF CLEARING UP
Norris is being checked out by medics but it OK, as the clean up to recover his McLaren and the debris.
This corner is proving to be a problem. Especially with the way it spits cars back into oncoming traffic.
NORRIS IS HURT – BUT WALKING TO THE MEDICAL CAR
He is holding his arm. TV replays show he was aquaplaning coming up the hill at Eau Rogue.
He hit the wall and into the left handside barrier, which spits his McLaren back out across the track.
Luckily, no other cars were running behind him, as he would have been hit a second time, and they would have smashed into him.
Vettel is first arrive on the scene and pulls over to check Norris. He gets the thumbs up.
The German is livid Michael Masi, the FIA Race Director did not stop the qualifying.
RED FLAG – HUGE CRASH FOR NORRIS
Session has been stopped.
Q3 IS GO – TOP 10 SHOOT OUT IS ON
But, the heavens have opened and it is pouring down. Vettel is calling for the session to be red flagged. Says there is “too much water”.
Norris also saying he is aquaplaning in his McLaren.
Visibility is very poor.
RUSSELL GETS IN TO Q3 AGAIN
Great result from the soon-to-be Merc man. He makes it into the top 10 shoot out.
Eliminated are Stroll, Alonso, Sainz, Latifi and Leclerc.
Leclerc is not happy. Tells his Ferrari team: “We f***** it up. We will talk about it later.”
WOW THAT WAS CLOSE
Hamilton left it late but he makes it in to Q3 at the final attempt. Bottas also squeezes through.
But it is that man Norris who again tops the time sheets.
TWO MINUTES TO GO AND THE MERC DUO ARE IN THE DROP ZONE
Incredible stuff here in Spa. With rain looming, Hamilton is at risk of getting booted out of Q2. He is in 11th.
HAMILTON IMPROVES…BUT ONLY JUST
He is in seventh, one place behind George Russell’s Williams. Bottas in 10th.
The two Mercs are in grave danger here.
IN THE DROP ZONE…
Bottas, Hamilton, Alonso, Ocon, Latifi.
Merc need to get a move on.
LANDO NORRIS HAS HAD HIS WEETABIX
The Brit is flying. He smashed Q1 and is now leading in Q2. This is sensational in such tricky conditions.
GREEN LIGHT Q2 IS GO
Carlos Sainz has been told that rain is expected five minutes into the session.
So expect to see plenty of drivers on inters going out early to try and make Q3. Would any of the Williams attempt a run on slicks? Would be brave…
NORRIS WAS FLYING THERE
Took P1 from Verstappen by a whopping 0.416 seconds. Mega stuff from the McLaren man.
THIS IS GOING TO BE CLOSE…
Raikkonen, Mazepin, Schumacher, Tusnoda, Giovinazzi all in the drop zone.
NORRIS NOW GOES QUICKEST
The Brit swaps on to intermediate tyres and tops the time sheets, as more rain is expected.
Verstappen in second place. Hamilton in fourth, which should see him through.
RUSSELL GOES QUICKEST
The track is now drying and the teams will soon be switching to intermediate tyres. It is currently Russell, Latifi, Norris, Verstappen.
SPIN FOR LATIFI
Thought those intermediate tyres were a gamble. The Canadian slides off, spins but avoids the barriers.
He is fortunate to escape the boggy conditions and make his way back on track.
GREEN LIST – QUALIFYING IS GO
Interesting that Russell and Latifi have opted for intermediate tyres in the hope of scraping in to Q2.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
