BELGIAN GP – Hamilton domination of Spa and qualifying continues with pole

Testing & Race Reports

Lewis Hamilton has taken pole for the tenth time this season’s securing the pole trophy in the process ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. The world champion beat his team-mate and last year’s pole trophy winner by 0.458 second.

Mercedes power dominated the session with Valtteri Bottas third, Lotus Romain Grosjean fourth and Force India’s Sergio Perez was fifth fastest. Thoughts of what happened at Spa twelve months ago will be on everyone’s mind.

However Grosjean drops back to ninth place because of a gearbox change.

Rosberg controversy crashed into the brit on the second lap of last years race, which he was punished for after Hamilton accused the German of driving into him deliberately. Rosberg was quickest throughout practice yesterday but Hamilton found what he needed when it mattered.

Hamilton told the media “I’m really happy today with the performance of the car. The car’s been feeling great on the circuit… Nico was very close but my last two laps were the best I’ve had all weekend.”

Bottas said “It is good to be back in the top three in qualifying. We knew after practice that there was so much more we could do if we put everything together.”

However there will be some nervousness for everyone following a change to start procedures meaning engineers will not be allowed to advise drivers on the start.

Rosberg said “With the new start situation, and we’re having to do everything ourselves now, there’s a lot more opportunity tomorrow even at the start”

Kimi Raikkonen failed to make it into Q2 after he ground to a halt at the end of Q1.

Max Verstappen didn’t take part in Q2 but drops back five places but will start Eighteenth ahead of the McLaren’s of Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso who have a combined total of 105 place penalty.

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