Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton stormed to pole position for the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix, drawing level with Michael Schumacher’s all-time record with the result.
The three-time F1 champion has now matched Schumacher’s pole position record of 68, and in the process set a new track record at Spa-Francorchamps.
Hamilton held the lead in Q3 after the first runs, but improved by several tenths with a 1:42.553 to secure first place on the grid with his second attempt.
His title rival Sebastian Vettel was fourth after the opening timed laps, but found some time to jump up to second place in the final moments of the session, just ahead of Valtteri Bottas, securing a front-row spot in the process.
The second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen was fourth, the Finn backing out of his last lap, having complained of vibrations throughout the three-stage session.
Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were next up for Red Bull, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon.
Jolyon Palmer reached Q3 in the second Renault, but smoke poured out of his car early in the session and he had to pull off track, meaning he finished in 10th, without a timed lap to his name.
A late improvement from Hulkenberg pushed Fernando Alonso into the drop-zone at the end of Q2, with the Spaniard qualifying 11th.
He was just under one tenth clear of Romain Grosjean, with his Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen and Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz Jr. next up.
Due to his 65-place grid penalty for numerous engine component changes, Stoffel Vandoorne did not set a timed lap in Q2 and was 15th, but will start from the back of the grid.
Felipe Massa was the first driver eliminated in qualifying, ahead of Daniil Kvyat, his Williams team-mate Lance Stroll, Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein.
All five drivers will move up one spot due to Vandoorne’s grid penalty, but Massa, Ericsson and Wehrlein each have five-place grid drops.
Massa will fall one spot to 17th, due to his penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags in FP3. Ericsson and Wehrlein will be next up, actually gaining a position, with Vandoorne P20.
