Well done Belgium, well done indeed - that is why this race is so highly regarded and why the circuit is the immense venue that it is, because that was one of the greatest qualifying sessions in a very long while. It had everything, drivers and teams making brilliant gambles and those that didn't quite pay off as well as it seemed. Despite having the same four cars holding the top four spaces on the grid as we have seen over the past few races, it doesn't come close to covering the story of what happened today - and miraculously as the conditions swapped from wet to damp to dry to sideways rain and back to dry again, no-one ended up tearing wheels of the cars and planting it in the barrier.
The early indication through free practice was that Red Bull would walk away with things, 0.8s up on the field in FP2 in the dry - not that Spa does dry too often - so if the track is dry tomorrow I can just see someone vanishing off into the distance. But add some moisture into that mix and the race is anyone's - perhaps not the epic madness of 1998, but something of that order would be nice and a Caterham, Marussia podium... well perhaps that would be asking a little much, even of Spa. So just how did things fall into shape today.
Qualifying
The timing was perfect at the very beginning of the session, because as soon as everyone started to get ready to join Q1, the rain began to fall and there was enough rain to justify the teams starting on the intermediate tyres. Williams and Torro Rosso queued at the end of the pit-lane almost two minutes before the light turned green. Maldonado was instructed to set a banker lap in case it got wetter, and promptly went off at Le Combes and missed the chicane.
With the conventional faces running at the front of the grid as the rain stopped, but the track was still way too wet for slicks, a certain Esteban Gutierrez was running second and stayed in the top five for the majority of the session. As the track started to dry off there were some drivers in some very odd positions - Alonso and Massa were in relegation, Raikkonen and Vettel were just on the other side of the zone. But times started to fall rapidly dropping Gutierrez from the top five into the relegation zone as Alonso went fastest and the rest of the front runners followed him up.
Then something magical happened those at the very back took a mad decision to put slicks on, but the plan worked exceedingly well, even having to evade Di Resta who was spinning in the middle of the bus-stop chicane. Chilton ended the session 16th... miraculously was the man not last, but into Q2. But because Bianchi is faster he finished 11th which in itself is just outstanding, but it is not the best showing. Giedo Van Der Garde was 3rd... yes the car was on slicks, but a Caterham... 3rd that deserves a high five and several bonus points.
In Q2 it was completely dry, and no-one was waiting in pit-lane to take to the track immediately as the light turned green and in a day of vastly changing conditions Q2 was a completely normal session. Red Bull put the harder compound tyres on and Webber sat at the top of the timings for a while. Until he was defeated by Raikkonen and Alonso joined the party in 3rd in the Ferrari. It could be considered fortunate that it didn't rain much more or Raikkonen would be popping round to Ferrari to raid the ice cream fridge again. Yet Hamilton and Vettel, were just sitting around in the garage not doing too much as the session reached the half way point
It seemed that this session was showing that the competition for a potential pole position was going to be very entertaining as Red Bull, Alonso and Raikkonen were setting very similar times with Mercedes, Grosjean and Massa not too far behind. But they were not having it their own way, Jenson and Force India were in the middle of that battle which pushed Hamilton very close to relegation, only 0.02s ahead of Hulkenberg's Sauber. Cutting things a little close as Lewis was fourth as the chequered flag fell and finished tenth as others completed their laps.
Now Q3 was fun, very fun indeed, rain was coming back so everyone lined up in the pit lane hoping to complete a lap before it arrived... well not quite everyone because Di Resta (and the team not that Paul acknowledged the help) predicted a lot of rain and put the inters on and waited. That rain arrived as the other cars reached stavelot and came down with anger, the two Lotus' were powersliding two wide through Blanchimont - not recommended ever but both survived. They pitted leaving Di Resta with the track to himself in the lightest of the rain and swept into the lead. Everyone else swapped onto the inters and were miles off Pauls pace as rain intensified.
Di Resta was looking very happy and safe, it was raining sideways and cars were losing seconds per sector - except Rosberg who was only half a second down, somehow it didn't make a whole heap of sense but fair enough. Then all the sideways rain suddenly stopped and the track virtually dried instantly - we saw people with brushes clearing water in Canada and Australia but in Spa it just left. And in an instant Di Resta's pole hopes also evaporated, Rosberg pounced first and took the place away followed the two Red Bulls deposing the Scot yet further. Where was Mr Di Resta in this, well he, like most of us assumed he was safe and was sitting in the garage. Eventually the battle for pole came down to Vettel vs Hamilton the only two drivers to manage to do one more lap than the rest a battle which fell once more to a Mercedes driver and another pole to Hamilton. While the other title contenders Alonso and Raikkonen didn't get that extra lap and are at the back of the top ten.
The Bonus Points Championship Points Winners
Where do I begin with that session, everyone probably should have some points for keeping it out of the wall as the weather was all over the place but there were some very points worthy performances to put on the board today.
- 10pts - Giedo Van Der Garde - 3rd in a Caterham, 3rd...
- 8pts - Paul Di Resta - Almost complete genius move in Q3
- 6pts - Chilton/Bianchi - Bianchi 11th, and Chilton not being last which is miraculous
- 5pts - Nico Rosberg - How on earth do you only lose half a second in sideways rain
- 4pts - Esteban Gutierrez - Second in Q1 on equal tyres even if it was temporary
- 3pts - Lewis Hamilton - That car should not be on pole how it has been so far, yet it still is
- 2pts - Raikkonen/Grosjean - Two wide on slicks in the wet in Blanchimont without an accident
- 1pt - Rain - because that was epic
Looking to tomorrow
Very few races look as exciting or as tantalising as this one does because they way this weekend is shaping up looks amazing, we have a grid with key cars out of position - Red Bull and Mercedes are at the front, while Lotus and Ferrari are at the opposite end of the top ten. Sitting in the middle of this melee is Di Resta and Jenson - the only plus point for Alonso is that he starts behind Grosjean who almost took his head off this time last season. This pattern extends to the back of the grid where Marussia and Van Der Garde are in the middle of the mid-field in cars which in equal conditions are a lot slower than anything around them which could lead to all kinds of mayhem.
Just when that seems like a brilliant configuration as is, place that on the most challenging and dynamic circuit on the calendar which has seen so many epic and enduring races and the thought of those 44 laps tomorrow is massively exciting. However that is by far and away not all because those 44 laps on such a brilliant circuit may be taking place in very changeable or even full wet conditions - everything points to this being the best race of the season. So until then farewell from blog HQ, managing to complete the post before midnight.
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