Bojan Vrbnjak
Behind us are the qualifiers, which started with a slight delay, as due to the rain on the track there was too much water on some sections and there was a danger of aquaplaning. But after a few minutes it started and the overwhelmed spectators in the stands had something to see.
They witnessed the dangerous accident of the young Lando Norris, but later a great sensation, when George Russell was eventually overtaken only by Max Verstappen. The young Williams racer overtook Lewis Hamilton, probably his future teammate in a significantly worse race car, which was also seen in the face and mood of the Briton, who came to the interview with Mark Webber only last, although he should have answered first.
Q1 - Norris fastest, Raikkonen knocked out
Po 12 minutes waiting, however, the first part of the qualifications began. The racers hurried to the track as the situation could get worse and it was interesting to see the choice of tires. While almost everyone was on rain tires, what are both Williams on the track eliminated the intermediates. And in view of informing the racers to their engineers, they did Russell in Latifs decided right, though the latter in his quick lap drove off the track onto the grass.
He set the first time of the round Russell, the first to overtake him was gasly on tires for heavy rain, and the next one is Hamilton. But over time, it turned out that the tires were with blue border however more suitable for the conditions on the track, as all in turn improved his time. A British is to all set the mirror and put his car at the top of the table with a three-second advantage. They followed commands the racerto immediately head to the pits for faster tires and that was it intermediates.
A new one has begun hunting for the best time, which would ensure promotion to the second part (Q2) of the qualifications. He tried first Or with, who failed to overtake the Williams duo in the first two places. And since the rain was supposed to intensify, those minutes were crucial for all racers and their lap times. It’s no wonder, then, that times have improved along the assembly line. It is first Russella overtook Sainz, then swung to the top Ricciardo, Leclerc, Russell in between, until he first occupied the summit Verstappen, But Norris overtook it all by eight tenths of a second.
He came even closer to him Lewis Hamilton by a good four tenths of a second. It seemed for a long time that he would drop out after the first part Sebastian Vettel, but he is a racer Aston Martin saved in the last second. At the last minute, however, they showed the battle for first place Norris in Verstappen. The Dutchman first swung to first place, but the Briton did not give up and resolutely took first place back.
Q2 - Fastest again Norris, knocking out both Ferraris
Just like v Q1 in the second part, too, the racers quickly hurried to the track - all shod youintermediates. The reason lay in the forecast that the rain will intensify in five minutes. Both racers Mercedesa they went on their first attempt in Q2 with used intermediates tires, but they are already in the heating circuit Hamilton and Bottas announced that they should be brought to the pits for new ones.
And because it was raining harder, the first attempt at a fast lap was even more important for the racers. In Lando Norris as in Q1, he showed that he can do very well in the rain. He set the first time and what, 1: 57 minutes, where I was the first to approach him by less than a second behind gasly. Everyone else was more than a second behind. The next one that was less than a second behind was Hag, but he came closest to Norris at that moment Verstappen by a good tenth of a second.
Preobuta v new intermediates the tires were also made by both racers for their first fast lap attempt Mercedesa. In doing so Hamilton it didn’t work out in the first one, so he added another quick lap. But the first sector was not promising and the rain intensified. British he improved his time in the second sector, and in the end it was enough to put on currently seventh place, his teammate Bottas but only on the ninth. Norris however, he once again showed that the rainy conditions in Spa suited me, and he once again improved his time.
A Verstappen - in the style of an enraged Max - he didn't give up and overtook him by almost half a second The British. But he quickly found the answer. Perez he swung to third place and Ricciardo to sixth. And while Bottas was already out of ten for just under five minutes, Hamilton hung in tenth place. They both went for another fresh set intermediates gum. And they desperately needed you, as they both dropped out of the top ten. Hamilton managed to get to second place, his colleague Bottas to the third, Galsy took fourth place and fifth place Sebastian Vettel. George Russell qualified for Q3 for the second time this season.
Q3 - Pole position to Verstappn, Norris' serious accident and Russell's big surprise
V the third part of the qualifications however, the rain became heavier and no one thought of green-rimmed tires anymore. The only ones useful for these conditions were for heavy rain. And that could have spiced up the fight for the pole position. Except for both racers Red Bull Racing in Mercedesa everyone else was on the track, but Sebastian Vettel he quickly announced that there was too much water on the track and demanded a break, and a few seconds later he also confirmed his words Lando Norris, who communicated too much aquaplaning to his command desk.
Still, he is young British, probably on the wings best times in Q1 and Q2, started with a fast lap, which was fatal for him as he was on top Eau Rouga he turned and crashed into the guardrail and honestly smashed his race car, which carried him to the other side of the track. Sebastian Vettelwho drove for Norris, received a message that an accident had occurred at the top of the Eau Rouge and that qualifications had been suspended.
The German even stopped next to the young man The British but when he saw that all was well with him, and that a medical car was approaching, he drove on. Before that, he repeated angrily on the radio: "What did I say, what the hell did I say? Red flag. Is he all right? Okay, I see it's okay."Of course, the qualifications were suspended - for Norris but unfortunately concluded. Young The British they were taken to a medical center for examination according to the protocol, as his collision was by no means innocent. Meanwhile, the racetrack staff was cleaning up spilled oil in the excursion zone on the right side of the trail.
After it is safety car He drove the track several times to make sure that the race was in order, and after a good half an hour the interruption of the qualification continued. He drove to the track first Or with from the AlpineF1 team - understandable on heavy rain tires. Moments later, so did everyone else, but interesting that on intermediates gum - except Russell. But it seems the others were right, as it is Or with quickly came for the tires with the green rim.
And the fight for began pole position. He attacked first Hamilton, followed by two vehicles Bottas and Verstappen. The first sector belonged to the racer Red Bull Racing, and the first time he set Hamilton, which was a second and a half faster than Bottas and a surprisingly bad second from Verstappen. He swung to fourth place Hag, and just behind it we find Gaslya, which was more than two seconds behind. He finished sixth Perez, seventh Ricciardo in the eighth Ocon. Russell however, he opted for only one attempt.
In the second attempt, it did Perez swung to second place, a good half second for Hamilton, who also started the second experiment himself. A George Russell he threatened with surprise, for he was almost for half a second faster than Hamilton in the first sector. Racer Williams took the lead, Hamilton he was a hundredth behind him, but in the end Max was faster and he secured it pole position.
They form another type Hamilton and Ricciardo, third Vettel and Gasly, fourth Perez and Bottas, fifth Ocon and Norris. The race will be tomorrow at 15 p.m.
