Lewis Hamilton believes today’s Belgian Grand Prix is impossible to predict despite blowing away his rivals and storming to pole position.
.@LewisHamilton makes it 6 poles in a row, the first driver to do so since Schumacher in 2000/01 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/jpOlWLcSdq
Hamilton claimed his sixth consecutive pole with a flawless lap in qualifying at a sun-drenched Spa-Francorchamps.
The world champion, bidding for his first victory since 2010 at this most historic of Formula One venues, was almost half a second clear of his title rival Nico Rosberg.
It sent out an emphatic message to his Mercedes team-mate who left the track on Friday night perhaps foolishly believing he was “one step ahead” of Hamilton after dominating practice.
The roles were reversed in qualifying, and on yesterday’s form at least, Rosberg faces an uphill challenge to take the fight to Hamilton.
Yet the Briton, who joins a small club of drivers to secure six straight poles, believes the new start procedure – which places greater emphasis on the driver skills and judgement rather than assistance from the pit wall – makes the race tough to call.
“It is really difficult to know what is going to happen tomorrow,” said Hamilton, who is 21 points ahead of Rosberg in the race for the title.
“I have got a good team behind me who prepare me as well as possible to get good starts. It is going to be difficult but everyone is in the same boat.”
– Belgian GP: Hamilton claims sixth straight pole
– Belgian GP: Vettel bemoans qualifying error
– F1 drivers: Who’s the quickest out the blocks?
The nature of this track, with the long run up to Les Combes – the scene of Hamilton’s crash with Rosberg last year – means it can be a disadvantage starting from the front of the field. Indeed, only five of the last 13 pole-sitters have gone on to win.
“It is not a very good place to start from pole,” Hamilton added. “When you are up ahead you create a great tow for whoever is behind.
“In the perfect scenario I will get a mega start out of turn one and I’ll be enough car lengths ahead, but that is never the case generally.
“I can’t look into it and hope I will get the second best start and come out behind Nico – that is not a good way to approach it – so I have just got to try and stay in the lead as otherwise it will be a tough race. If you’re behind it is very difficult to overtake here.”
Rosberg, who has lost out to Hamilton at all but one of the 11 races this season, was at a loss to explain his performance. It is the second qualifying session in a row where he has finished half a second down on his team-mate, relative light years in Formula One.
ON BOARD – Ride with @LewisHamilton on his scorching #BelgianGP pole lap >> http://t.co/JDDxEBi0Ib #F1 pic.twitter.com/lGDVqpZq6B
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 22, 2015
He said: “I was expecting to be on pole so it came as a big surprise. Getting out of the car and looking at the times – that he again improved his time – was very surprising and very annoying.
“He pulled that extra little bit out of the bag that I wasn’t able to do.”
Behind the Mercedes pair, Valtteri Bottas was third in his Williams with Romain Grosjean an impressive fourth for Lotus, although the Frenchman will be demoted five places following a gearbox change. Sebastian Vettel, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix, could manage only ninth at his 150th race and Ferrari’s 900th.
His Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen stopped on track after a loss of power and is 14th. McLaren fell at the first hurdle in qualifying but such is their demise this season it came as little surprise.
Jenson Button finished 17th, half a second ahead of his team-mate Fernando Alonso.
