Vettel snatch pole from Hamilton

Belgian Grand Prix, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa - Qualifying - Result

It was one of the wettest Qualifying session. As always, wet means drama and uncertainty. So does world champion Sebastian Vettel always live to the reputation of being ahead.

Vettel grabbed his 9th pole of the season out of 12. Amazingly all 12 are being held by Red Bull drivers. Vettel rather snatched the pole position from Lewis Hamilton in the dying moment of the qualifying session.

 

As it went in Q3:

10min session was more than a piece of cake for Vettel. As all the drivers for the first time started on soft compound tyres during qualifying. Weather gives its way to settle the score between the honchos. There was a pure dry line on the track. All the drivers continued for 10mins without going for a pitstop. As the session started Massa and Petrov went into the gravel. But both avoided damage.

Again a strong performance from Webber put him in the front but just before the last min Vettel goes P1 only 1tenth of a second faster than Webber and Hamilton in P3 another 1tenth down. The battle for the top spot started with the last min rush to glory.

As did Webber crosses the line first then Hamilton. It became clear that Webber will be 3rd on the grid but who would have known that current champion will cover the ground and secured P1 on the desk.

Massa did his best in the Ferrari to qualify at 4th followed by Nico Rosberg in Mercedes. Jaime Alguersuari in the Toro Rosso set brilliant 6th position for the team. This being his best starting position on the grid.

Comeback boy, Bruno Senna, exceptionally performed by even out performing his teammate and qualifying 7th that nobody has ever imagined from him. Ayrton Senna nephew learned quickly the new car and adjusted himself well according to the situation.

Fernando Alonso qualified only 8th out-qualified by his teammate. Sergio Perez was 9th and Vitaly Petrov was 10th.

 

As it went in Q2:

As the session started on full wet with a rain shower. Drivers expected for a full wet session that was interrupted by Adrian Sutil accident. The session also involved deliberate clash by Maldonado to the Lewis Hamilton car at the end of the session which Hamilton survived with damage to the right side bodywork and front wing. Maldonado was handed five place grid penalty for that.

Sutil crashed just when 7mins were remaining into the session and where the drama begins. Sutil was running 5th when the crash knocked him out. All the drivers went into the intermediates to get a spot in Q3.

Q2 was difficult session for Alonso for whom it look that he will not be able to make it to Q3 for the moment. But he hold onto the car and finished the session at top in the end with 2min 02.768sec on board.

More drama came from Hamilton who could not compromise on his aggressive nature and went onto overtake Maldonado in the final corner in the final lap of Q2. Both the Williams of Maldonado and Barrichello were compromised on their final run by a slower car in front and Hamilton at back. But the drama keeps on building up as when Maldonado and Hamilton went into the start finish straight, Maldonado came from back into the side of Hamilton and hit him. This was mostly deliberate for which he was penalized for 5place grid penalty.

Sebastien Buemi was running a competitive lap time but in the end lost it by 3tenth of a second to start at 11th position followed by Kamui Kobayashi. The biggest disappointment came as Jenson Button was outqualified and will start the race in 13th. Rubens Barrichello in 14th. Adrian Sutil dropped to 15th after the accident. Pastor Maldonado starts in 16th while Kovalainen for Lotus outqualified Paul Di Resta of Force India in Q1 to start at 17th.

 

As it went in Q1:

As the Q1 started a storm of drivers went onto record the time as the atmosphere was clear at that moment and it was not raining for the moment. Intermediates on for the drivers.

Major Disappointment of Q1 came for the 7times world champion who is celebrating his 20th anniversary into the Formula One and will start the race in 24th. Schumacher car right rear wheel came off and he spun into the turn 8 before hitting the wall damaging the front nose. =

With more rain pore at the end of the session no better time was recorded and Button top the Q1 with 2min 01:813sec. 4drivers were not able to clear the 107%qualifying rule which was 2min 10:339sec including Michael Schumacher.

But later stewards allowed them to take part into the race.

First to knockout of the Q1 was Paul Di Resta who was knocked out in the dying moments by Heikki Kovalainen in Lotus followed by Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock. Jerome D'Ambrosio of Virgin and Both the HRT did not qualify for the 107%rule.

Pos	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull - Renault	2min 03.029sec	2min 03.317sec	1min 48.298sec	22
2	Lewis Hamilton	Mclaren - Mercedes	2min 03.008sec	2min 02.823sec	1min 48.730sec	21
3	Mark Webber	Red Bull - Renault	2min 02.827sec	2min 03.302sec	1min 49.376sec	23
4	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	2min 05.834sec	2min 04.507sec	1min 50.256sec	21
5	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes GP	2min 05.091sec	2min 03.723sec	1min 50.552sec	23
6	Jaime Alguersuari	STR - Ferrari	2min 05.419sec	2min 04.561sec	1min 50.773sec	24
7	Bruno Senna	Renault	2min 05.047sec	2min 04.452sec	1min 51.121sec	24
8	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	2min 04.450sec	2min 02.768sec	1min 51.251sec	22
9	Sergio Perez	Sauber-Ferrari	2min 06.284sec	2min 04.625sec	1min 51.374sec	24
10	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	2min 05.292sec	2min 03.466sec	1min 52.303sec	23
11	Sebastien Buemi	STR - Ferrari	2min 04.744sec	2min 04.692sec		18
12	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber - Ferrari	2min 07.194sec	2min 04.757sec		18
13	Jenson Button	Mclaren - Mercedes	2min 01.813sec	2min 05.150sec		15
14	Rubens Barrichello	Williams -Cosworth	2min 05.720sec	2min 07.349sec		17
15	Adrian Sutil	Force India -Mercedes	2min 06.000sec	2min 07.777sec		12
16*	Pastor Maldonado	Williams -Cosworth	2min 05.621sec	2min 08.106sec		17
17	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus-Renault	2min 06.780sec	2min 08.354sec		15
18	Paul Di Resta	Force India -Mercedes	2min 07.758sec			8
19	Jarno Trulli	Lotus-Renault	2min 08.773sec			8
20	Timo Glock	Virgin -Cosworth	2min 09.566sec			9d
DNQ	Jerome d'Ambrosio	Virgin -Cosworth	2min 11.601sec			9
DNQ	Vitantonio Liuzzi	HRT - Cosworth	2min 11.616sec			9
DNQ	Daniel Ricciardo	HRT - Cosworth	2min 13.077sec			9
DNQ	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes GP	No Time			1

107% Qualifying Time was 2min 10.339sec.

However stewards allowed all the four drivers to participate in the race.

*Pastor Maldonado was handed a Five Place Grid Penalty for causing a deliberate accident with Lewis Hamilton.