Nico Rosberg achieved the pole position in front of Max Verstappen, who was a tenth and a half slower around the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The two Ferrari with Räikkönen in front will stand in grid’s second row.
After been known that Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG) was penalised so much that he was going to start from last position in the grid, everything was on charge of his teammate Nico Rosberg, who finally made it into the pole position.
During the session the track was getting better by time. It was also getting hotter and hotter until supersoft tyre was lasting an only lap, as if it was a qualifying compound.
Q1 saw Hamilton setting just a lap for satisfying the 107% rule, while Alonso (McLaren) was to do the same but his power unit suddenly stopped in the out lap. “It’s about luck, like throwing a coin. Jenson was with the exact same power unit as I was and nothing happened to him”, the Asturian complained. Alonso will have to stick to FP3 time for marshals allowing him to compete tomorrow.
Pascal Wehrlein (Manor Racing) reached the Q2, while his new teammate Esteban Ocon could not. The german was the eleventh fastest in Q1. Saubers also denotated their lack of speed by dropping out of Q2 both with slower times than Manors’.
Daniil Kvyat (Scuderia Toro Rosso) was also knocked out in Q1 as teammate Sainz passed although just reaching P15 in tomorrow’s grid. Spa-Francorchamps is a Mercedes’ favourable circuit; both Force India and Williams passed to the Q3.
Pole position seemed to be Rosberg’s, but the german would not be ensured until Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) passed the chequered flag without improving his time and staying a tenth and a half slower but still being the youngest driver ever to stand on first grid’s row. Besides, Ricciardo is fifth seeing how both Ferrari are in between him and his teammate. Behind him, both Force India and then the Williams with a strong Jenson Button (McLaren) in between them.
Results:
| POS | DRIVER | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:48.019 | 1:46.999 | 1:46.744 | |
| 2 | 1:48.407 | 1:47.163 | 1:46.893 | |
| 3 | 1:47.912 | 1:47.664 | 1:46.910 | |
| 4 | 1:47.802 | 1:47.944 | 1:47.108 | |
| 5 | 1:48.407 | 1:48.027 | 1:47.216 | |
| 6 | 1:48.106 | 1:47.485 | 1:47.407 | |
| 7 | 1:48.080 | 1:47.317 | 1:47.543 | |
| 8 | 1:48.655 | 1:47.918 | 1:47.612 | |
| 9 | 1:48.700 | 1:48.051 | 1:48.114 | |
| 10 | 1:47.738 | 1:47.667 | 1:48.263 | |
| 11 | 1:48.751 | 1:48.316 | ||
| 12 | 1:48.800 | 1:48.485 | ||
| 13 | 1:48.748 | 1:48.598 | ||
| 14 | 1:48.901 | 1:48.888 | ||
| 15 | 1:48.876 | 1:49.038 | ||
| 16 | 1:48.554 | 1:49.320 | ||
| 17 | 1:48.949 | |||
| 18 | 1:49.050 | |||
| 19 | 1:49.058 | |||
| 20 | 1:49.071 | |||
| 21 | 1:50.033 | |||
| NC | DNS |