On a track that can be considered Michael Schumacher's backyard, Lewis Hamilton put together an all-conquering performance to get his 68th pole position and tie 7-time champion Schumacher for the most pole positions.
Lewis was on top of qualification all day and topped each of the three sessions - setting a new lap record on each timed lap that he did.
The battle for P2 was swinging to-and-fro between the two Finns Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas, but things were settled once and for all in Q3. After initially holding P2, Bottas was a long way behind Lewis at more than half a second down on the pole time. The Ferraris then came out with Kimi in front of Seb. This detail proved crucial as Vettel was able to utilize a tactic employed by the McLaren drivers - use his teammate to provide a helpful tow.
This pushed Vettel into P2 but at the expense of Raikkonen who fell to P4. Having just signed a new contract, it seems that Raikkonen has no ambition and is quite content serving as Vettel's bitch.
Based on FP2, Ferrari looks better for the long-run, and this is where they're expected to take the fight to Mercedes. As always, the start will be crucial for Mercedes; they don't want to get jumped by the Ferrari and struggle to follow behind in the hot air.
Could rain also be a factor in the race tomorrow? Weather has been dicey all weekend so there may yet be another element thrown in the mix. Verstappen is starting in P5 and is capable of making a nuisance of himself. Teammate Ricciardo in P6 is right there to get into a tussle as well.
The track in Belgium allows plenty of opportunity for overtaking so this race should provide a lot of entertainment.
