As it happened: 2010 Belgium - Qualifying

• 12:30

  Hello everyone! Surprise! Welcome to Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.

• 12:30

  F1 is back after a nice and relaxing summer break, and it seems the summer is over, as the clouds descend on Spa.

• 12:32

  Have you voted on our pole prediction poll yet? (Try saying that three times fast.) https://sidepodcast.com/2010/08/28/live-belgium-2010-qualifying/

• 12:33

  Things to note ahead of qualifying. Wherever Schumacher qualifies, he will get a ten place grid drop for that move on Rubens.

• 12:35

  Vettel had a slight issue in FP3, coming to a halt in the pit lane entrance, but they fixed him up for one extra lap.

• 12:39

  Alonso led both practice sessions yesterday, whilst it was Webber who took P1 this morning.

• 12:41

  A Twitpic from @antdavidson showing the variable conditions.

• 12:46

  Tweet from @clubforce: We're ready to go in qualifying. Skies are very grey...could we see another sensational qualifying at Spa?

• 12:51

  Comment from Pat, at the circuit: some of us are in gravel area next to eau rouge stand, hope to see who is on the limit in the dry.

• 12:54

  Tweet from @MikeGascoyne: Rain coming from the west, should arrive at the end of Q1

• 12:57

  As qualifying is about to start, I have closed the poll and it looks like it's a dead heat between the two Red Bull guys.

• 12:58

  

  16°C

  Track	23°C
  Humidity	74%
  Wind Speed	2mps

• 13:00

  Qualifying session 1 begins.

• 13:00

  Glock leads the pack out, as a stream of cars leave the pitlane.

• 13:01

  Jenson Button is on soft tyres, Ted believes he'll be putting a banker lap in really early.

• 13:01

  Petrov spins off into the barrier, facing the oncoming traffic.

• 13:02

  Session stopped.

• 13:02

  No one has set a time yet, the cars return to the garage.

• 13:05

  Tweet from @VirginRacing: Not sure what the weather is going to do and Lucas helpfully suggests looking at the clouds. Likely to stay dry we think

• 13:07

  Vitaly hitches a ride back to the garage.

• 13:07

  Session will re-start at 14:08 local time.

• 13:08

  Session is go.

• 13:08

  Buemi leads the pack away this time - everyone piling back out on track. Just over 17 minutes of the session remaining.

• 13:09

  Comment from Stuart Taylor: I love a wet qualifying!! PANIC

• 13:09

  Vettel waited until everyone else had gone to get himself a gap.

• 13:10

  Team radio from Button: "Guys, it's raining. I'll give a lap a go."

• 13:10

  

  16°C

  Track	21°C
  Humidity	70%
  Wind Speed	2mps

• 13:11

  Schumacher was prepared to use his f-duct to good effect, but got squeezed into the wall by Trulli.

• 13:11

  Sutil has also passed the Mercedes as well. F-duct fail.

• 13:12

  Two cars came together, one being di Grassi, who sat right in the way on the track.

• 13:12

  Rosberg flew off into the gravel but kept on going.

• 13:13

  Both McLarens have got in a decent time, they look like they are safe.

• 13:13

  Vettel's decision to wait on the restart may have screwed his session thanks to the other yellow flag.

• 13:14

  Stewards are investigating the incident at Turn 14. I'm still not sure who else was involved along with DIG.

• 13:15

  Comment from Alex Andronov: FBFB the other Virgin was involved too

• 13:15

  Replays show the three cars spinning - it looks like they might have just been doing some solo ballet?

• 13:16

  It also looks like Trulli drove the wrong way up the track. He's done that before.

• 13:17

  Team radio to Vettel: "If you're not improving, don't destroy these tyres."

• 13:20

  Q1 Drop-Zone

  18	Senna	2:05.793
  19	Buemi	2:06.240
  20	Alguersuari	2:07.031
  21	Kovalainen	2:09.172
  22	Di Grassi	2:18.754
  23	Trulli	No Time
  24	Petrov	No Time

• 13:21

  Vettel was momentarily in the drop zone, as Trulli improved to 13th. The Red Bull jumped up to 3rd though, to save himself.

• 13:22

  Tweet from @VirginRacing: http://twitpic.com/2iysj1 timo out but Lucas can't go again :-(

• 13:22

  Comment from RubberGoat at the track: It's a very light shower where i am now - the drivers look like they are taking the corner dry. Webber just went a bit wide and lots of spray got thrown up ...

• 13:22

  Senna has improved to 15th.

• 13:23

  According to Holly on 5live, Nico Rosberg is coming in for dry tyres.

• 13:24

  Kubica has jumped to P1.

• 13:24

  Kobayashi has crashed into the barrier - notably on the slick tyres.

• 13:25

  Pedro de la Rosa has also crashed off into the barrier. Bad day for Sauber!

• 13:27

  Rosberg has made his slick tyres work, though, and jumped up to P1 - although under yellow flag conditions.

• 13:27

  Qualifying session 1 ends.

• 13:29

  Out of Q1

  18	Trulli	2:01.491
  19	Kobayashi	2:02.284
  20	Senna	2:03.612
  21	Yamamoto	2:03.941
  22	De la Rosa	2:05.294
  23	Di Grassi	2:18.754
  24	Petrov	No Time

• 13:30

  Glock and Kovalainen are the winners so far, both through to Q2.

• 13:30

  Yamamoto made it back to the garage, but is out of qualifying.

  De la Rosa had to leave his car out on track.

• 13:30

  Q2 will begin at 14:33 local time. They are late, which I approve of. It's the Sidepodcast way!

• 13:32

  Comment from RG: Erm, FBFB, did you just call Kobi, Yamamoto?

• 13:32

  Oops.

• 13:33

  Qualifying session 2 begins.

• 13:34

  Interview with Petrov. "Kerb was too wet, I just spun. Try and stay positive, we know our car is fast on the straight with the f-duct."

• 13:35

  Tweet from @tonyfernandes: Awesome qualifying. Almost almost got 2 cars in. Well done boys. Riad on the pitwall insetad of me. What a story for riad.

• 13:35

  Kovalainen has not left the garage yet. Everyone is out and about.

• 13:37

  Hamilton sets the first laptime of Q2 - a 1:50.794.

• 13:38

  Everyone has now set a lap time, bar Kovalainen who is still sitting in the garage.

• 13:38

  Tweet from @VirginRacing: Why is kov still in pit?

• 13:38

  Good question.

• 13:39

  Button has returned to the pitlane.

• 13:39

  Alguersuari pops up into second place. Weird.

• 13:39

  Liuzzi spins, but continues onward.

• 13:40

  A Ferrari is seen desperately escaping the gravel. Not sure who it was, but it looked suspiciously like Massa.

• 13:41

  Comment from Stuart Taylor: i dont know why they bother putting the yellow flag away, it's been out more than in

• 13:41

  Replays show that it was, indeed, Massa.

• 13:42

  Kovalainen has finally emerged, just as everyone else is coming back for new tyres.

• 13:45

  Button pops up to P1.

• 13:46

  Tweet from @autosportlive: All 17 cars are on track for an intense final three minutes of this session.

• 13:46

  The order changed before I could finish my table, so drop-out zone: Hulk, Sutil, Rosberg, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Glock, Liuzzi.

• 13:48

  Things keep changing before I finish typing them, so I'm going to wait. Session finishes in ten seconds.

• 13:48

  Qualifying session 2 ends.

• 13:51

  Out of Q2

  11	Schumacher	1:47.874
  12	Rosberg	1:47.885
  13	Alguersuari	1:48.267
  14	Liuzzi	1:48.680
  15	Buemi	1:49.209
  16	Kovalainen	1:50.980
  17	Glock	1:52.049

• 13:51

  Q3 will start at 14:56 local time. Still running late. I love it.

• 13:52

  Rosberg leads his teammate. Schumacher qualified 11th, and if you add his ten place penalty, he'll be started pretty near the back.

• 13:53

  Rosberg also goes backwards - a five place penalty for a gearbox change.

• 13:55

  Tweet from @alanbaldwinf1: Kovalainen should start 14th which will be highest by a new team this season

• 13:56

  Qualifying session 3 begins.

• 13:57

  Hamilton led the queue, his car was smoking a little, but he was away cleanly.

• 13:57

  Hulkenberg and Sutil have remained in the garage.

• 13:58

  Comment from RubberGoat: Bit of smoke from lewis and a bit of a funny smell?

• 14:00

  Tweet from @edb_lotusracing: That was fun! x2 noses damaged in Q1, but the team effort was really gr8. Heikki did a great job, & the wait in Q2 meant T14 dried nicely.

• 14:00

  Kubica popped up to P1 for a moment, before being pipped by Webber. Can he do it again?

• 14:02

  Sutil is the last driver to set a laptime, he's in the midst of his first flyer now.

• 14:02

  There are some pretty ominous looking clouds hovering over the circuit, but there are only three minutes remaining.

• 14:03

  5live reporting that the rain is starting to fall heavily in front of them.

• 14:03

  Vettel has just left the garage on slick tyres.

• 14:03

  Umbrellas are going up.

• 14:05

  Kubica, Barrichello, Sutil and Hulkenberg have all returned to the pitlane.

• 14:06

  Team radio to Vettel: "There are spots of rain at Turn 1, but that's all they are, spots. Don't let that worry you."

• 14:06

  Massa runs wide off track, ruining his fast lap.

• 14:06

  Qualifying session 3 ends.

• 14:06

  Actually, let's have one of these.

• 14:09

  Top Ten

  1	Webber	1:45.778
  2	Hamilton	1:45.863
  3	Kubica	1:46.100
  4	Vettel	1:46.127
  5	Button	1:46.206
  6	Massa	1:46.314
  7	Barrichello	1:46.602
  8	Sutil	1:46.659
  9	Hulkenberg	1:47.053
  10	Alonso	1:47.441

• 14:11

  Yet another Red Bull pole position, and Webber stands more of a chance of converting it to victory than Vettel might have.

• 14:11

  Alonso will be disappointed not to have improved on 10th.

• 14:11

  Great Q3 for Kubica, look out for him at the start tomorrow. Qualifying is not the be all and end all at Spa, so let's hope for a good race!

• 14:11

  Thanks for joining me for this qualifying session, I will be back tomorrow and I hope to see you then.