Verstappen goes quickest.
He has certainly got the pace here, as has Lando Norris, Ricciardo's team-mate,
who now goes quickest by four tenths. - Yeah, Norris is really at home
in these conditions. Brits and Japanese drivers tend to be
extremely good in wet conditions, but Tsunoda has not got it done.
- Out of qualifying! Yeah, that's good news for Ricciardo.
Raikonnen is out and still in the bottom five. Esteban Ocon, last week's race winner,
managed to get into Q3 at Hungary, is now the driver at risk from anyone
on a flying lap behind him. We have lost Nikita Mazepin, Kimi Raikkonen, Mick Schumacher,
Yuki Tsunoda, and Antonio Giovinazzi. Hamilton now crosses the line,
goes second fastest. That'll do him nicely.
But as Martin said, he has used up extra sets of tyres
that he didn't really plan on doing. Gasly goes third fastest.
Valtteri Bottas with a five-place grid penalty hanging over him in this qualifying session,
goes third fastest. Gets himself into Q3. - Ricciardo and Sainz out!
- Sainz and Ricciardo: 12th and 11th. Make that 13th and 12th,
as Esteban Ocon goes through into Q3. For the second race running
Esteban Ocon puts himself into the top ten. Charles Leclerc could just improve
his position a little bit. He should be safe.
Crosses the line now. Stays tenth.
Must have backed off. - So Russell through, then, at the moment,
and Latifi outqualifies Ricciardo and Sainz. Ricciardo gets one, though, over the line.
Look at that! Just through! - Fernando Alonso – he was the last driver
on the track that could do something to upset Esteban Ocon,
who's through by the skin of his teeth. - "We missed that Lance.
Missed it." - "****!
Ah, man, that was such ********!" - "Unfortunately, that's P15, Lance, P15." - "Yeah, I know. ****!
We didn't do a second lap on the tyres." - We've lost ten already.
One of them is Lance Stroll, who was not happy with what happened to him
and his team out on the track. There's standing water,
where the drivers lose all grip and the potential to go off
into the barriers. Until there's a red flag
and a decision from race control Lando Norris will have to stay out there. - Did the McLaren go round?
- Yes, it did! Yes, it did! That's Lando Norris.
Eau Rouge and up to Raidillon, Lando Norris has had a big off.
And you can see the tyre stranded. You can see the chassis revolving
and turning around. Lando is moving. - "Lando, are you OK?
Are you OK?" - "Yeah. ****!
Sorry, guys." - There's a lot of standing water.
He's now back in line. Yeah. Oh, I see. It just...
So it just started to wander into an oversteer and he had to correct it.
And it was the correction that actually took him
into the barriers. - We're down to the last 40 seconds.
Right, who's going to get this, as George Russell now sets
the fastest first sector? - Supreme skills and bravery going on out here.
These are sketchy conditions on those tyres. Wow! I'm massively impressed with this.
- Now, hang on a minute! George Russell half a second quicker
than Lewis Hamilton through the first sector. Have Williams put on and found
a new set of tyres, maybe, a new set of intermediates that he can
go out on and do an outlap and then a flying push lap
right at the end? Is George Russell potentially
going to be the star of qualifying here, as Esteban Ocon goes seventh fastest
for the Alpine? - And Vertsappen two tenths up on Hamilton
in the first sector. Way quicker than Bottas!
- Bottas a 34.2 in that first sector as well. 33.5s for Vettel and for Gasly, as we watch Lewis Hamilton
and George Russell. It's a 55.0 in the middle sector
for George Russell. That is a very fine middle sector
in these conditions. George Russell could be on
for pole position here in Spa for the first in his career
in a Williams. And I'm not lying about that one
in the slightest, although Lewis Hamilton a tenth up on Russell
in the middle sector. Just get it through
the Bus Stop chicane, George! Try and straight line it, get to the line,
and we'll see what happens after that. Across the line goes George Russell. It's provisional pole for the Williams
and George Russell! Now, Lewis Hamilton will be next
to cross the line to try and catch him. Hamilton's had 101 poles. He can't deny George Russell
here in Spa this afternoon. Russell is still on provisional pole! Perez can't deny him. Verstappen has had
an excellent middle sector. He can! - Yes, Verstappen's going faster now
to just sneak ahead of Russell. What a lap from George Russell! But Verstappen's still got to make it
through the final two apexes. He's done that nicely! - And now it's the charge to the line
for Max Verstappen. It's going to come up quickly. Is it going to come up quickly enough for pole?
Yes, it is! Verstappen denies George Russell!
It is Red Bull on pole. You can hear the Dutch fans cheer that one. But they'll be celebrating in the Red Bull garage
and at the other end of the pit lane down at Williams as well, because it's a front row
for George Russell in Spa. Its pole for Max Verstappen!
Hamilton is only third on the grid, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly,
Sergio Perez, and then it will be Ocon, Ricciardo,
and Norris, as Bottas will take a five-place penalty. - Ricciardo goes P4, then, with that lap.
He was still finishing the lap. - "Looks very good, Max.
Pole position. - "Yes! Haha! Come on!
That was so difficult out there, but that is simply lovely!" - "That's a stonking lap.
You've outqualified Mr Hamilton. George Russell: P2." - "Come on! Yes! Yesss!
Woooh! Yes, guys! Oh my God!
****! That was a lap! Amazing, guys! Amazing!
Well done, everybody! Well done!" - "Just a fantastic charge! Quite awesome! The whole team did a fantastic job,
and you were outstanding. Thanks so much!" Max Verstappen powered his Red Bull
right to the front. And at the weekend that he starts to claw back
that championship lead once again, well, he struck on a Saturday.
But the real Mr Saturday has done it. George Russell: front row! I'll keep saying it,
and then I might believe it.
Damn, that was fast. Editors really took the red flag time there
F1 gods thought the season wasn't insane enough yet, so threw this at us
What. A. Session
What a mega quali! So stoked for George! I was on the floor in shock watching the end of q3 live.
Incredible session. I feel like Daniel going from barely nosing it out of Q2 to take P4 is not getting enough attention though. Massive for McLaren with Lando possibly not going tomorrow and both Ferraris failing to make it out of Q2. Hope he can turn it on tomorrow as well.
F1 iS nOt ExCiTiNg EnOuGh
Incredible session, terrible highlights, absolutely no extra contect or any of the mid session parts
I missed it last night but can anyone explain why Bottas had to take a grid penalty?