Lewis Hamilton will start the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix from pole position after setting the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday.
The Briton’s team mate, Valtteri Bottas, will start second on Sunday in a front-row lockout for Mercedes. Max Verstappen will start third for Red Bull.
Ferrari’s struggles continued at Spa with Sebastian Vettel last and Charles Leclerc only 17th.
F1.Com reports that low fuel runs came thick and fast with five minutes of the session remaining and soft tyres were used by all for their fastest laps, with this hour-long final practice session preceding what should be an absorbing – and perhaps wet – qualifying session at 1500 local time.
Hamilton set his fastest time of 1m43.255s to finish first at the end of the session, with team mate Valtteri Bottas sliding at La Source on his way to P5, 0.558s off the pace. Bottas had set the pace on medium tyres with a fastest time of 1m43.813s on medium tyres halfway through the session, however.
Second-place Renault driver Esteban Ocon set a blisteringly fast first sector to finish 0.230s off Hamilton and ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, with Alex Albon fourth for the second time this weekend – under half a second behind Hamilton.
Ex-Ferrari Belgian Grand Prix winner Kimi Raikkonen finished 16th for Alfa Romeo, which meant that Ferrari were slower than their customer teams as Leclerc could only take 17th and Vettel an astonishing last-place – an incredible result given they topped this session at this race with a 1-2 last year. Williams’ George Russell and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi both finished ahead of Vettel in 18th and 19th.
Reuters / F1.Com
