Belgian GP 2020
AUGUST 29, 2020
Qualifying Report - A different level
© Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
By Dan Knutson
Lewis Hamilton was on a different level in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. He took pole position with a time a full half second quicker than his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. It was Hamilton's 93rd pole, his fifth of 2020, and his 151st front row start.
"Every lap was just getting better today," Hamilton said.
The line-up for the weekend was: Mercedes – Hamilton and Bottas; Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc; Red Bull Honda – Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon; McLaren Renault – Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris; Renault – Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon; AlphaTauri Honda – Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly; Racing Point Mercedes – Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll; Alfa Romeo Ferrari – Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi; Haas Ferrari – Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Williams Mercedes – George Russell and Nicolas Latifi.
Hamilton was fastest in FP3 earlier in the day with a time of 1:43.255.
QUALIFYING 1
The ambient temperature at the start of the session was 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 25 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Centigrade).
The two Haas drivers were the first out in Q1, which lasted 18 minutes. Grosjean, using Magnussen's slipstream, clocked a 1:45.073, which was a third of a second quicker than the Dane.
That set the ball rolling, and soon just about everybody was on track. Some teams played the slipstreaming game and some did not.
Ricciardo took the lead with a 1:43.309, but Hamilton smashed that with his 1:42.323. Bottas slid into second at 1:42.534.
When there were five minutes remaining in Q1, Giovinazzi was 15th and on the cutoff line. Leclerc was 14th and Latifi was 16th.
Out front, the order was Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Sainz, Albon, Stroll and Gasly.
There was time for one last run. The top six, except Bottas, stayed in the pits while the rest of the drivers headed out.
The five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q1 were: Raikkonen, Grosjean, Giovinazzi, Latifi and Magnussen. Four of them with Ferrari engines.
The fastest 15 drivers who moved on to Q2 were: Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Gasly, Stroll, Kvyat, Ricciardo, Sainz, Perez, Albon, Ocon, Norris, Vettel, Russell and Leclerc.
QUALIFYING 2
Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Stroll and Perez had the medium compound Pirelli tires on their cars. If they set their fast lap on the mediums it meant that they could use those more durable tires at the start of the race.
The rest of the drivers were on the softs.
Hamilton clocked a 1:42.014, which was 0.112 of a second faster than Bottas. Verstappen grabbed third ahead of Ricciardo, Ocon and Albon.
Tenth and on the bubble with five minutes to go was Kvyat, and Sainz was ninth while Stroll was 11th.
Perez was 12th, so the Racing Point's strategy of using the medium Pirellis was not working.
Given the long lap times, the drivers would only have one more chance to make it into Q3's top 10 shootout.
And so most of them duly trundled out for one last go. Ricciardo stayed in the pits. Perez and Stroll were now on the soft tires.
The five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q2 were: Kvyat, Gasly, Leclerc, Vettel and Russell.
The fastest 10 drivers who moved on to Q3 were: Hamilton, Bottas, Albon, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Stroll, Ocon, Perez and Norris.
QUALIFYING 3
Q3 lasted 12 minutes, so that meant that there was time for only two flying laps.
Hamilton was first out, and a stream of nine drivers followed him.
Hamilton, therefore, clocked the first fast lap of Q3 – 1:41.451.
That was a whopping 0.578 of a second quicker than Bottas who took second place.
Ricciardo grabbed third ahead of Verstappen, Albon, Sainz, Ocon, Perez, Stroll and Norris.
All 10 drivers headed for the pits to prepare for their last runs in Q3.
Just over three minutes remained as they all, save Perez and Stroll, filed back out on the track.
Hamilton was again at the head of the pack, and when he crossed the line he had a time of 1:41.252. A new track record.
Bottas had a time of 1:41.763 which put him on the front row alongside his teammate.
The rest of the top 10 were: Verstappen, Ricciardo, Albon, Ocon, Sainz, Perez, Stroll and Norris.