Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix during a thrilling dry/wet/drying qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps.
Q1 and Q2 took place in dry conditions, with Ferrari holding the advantage, but rain struck prior to the start of Q3, and the drivers were forced to duck into the pits to change Supersofts for Intermediates.
Kimi Raikkonen provisionally led the way before title rivals Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton came to the fore.
Vettel posted a time of 2:02.446, improving to a 2:01.188, as Hamilton clocked quick mini-sector times until he drifted wide at Fagnes.
Hamilton regrouped, as the circuit gradually improved, and blitzed to a time of 1:58.179, leaving him three seconds clear of the pack.
Vettel also improved but fell short of overhauling his rival to the tune of seven-tenths of a second.
Raikkonen and the Red Bull drivers held second to fourth with five minutes remaining but came into the pits and did not re-emerge, a move that proved costly.
The re-born Force India squad sprung a surprise by locking out the second row of the grid, with an ecstatic Esteban Ocon ahead of Sergio Perez.
Perez also pulled off a stunning save when he slid wide through Raidillon on slick tyres and came perilously close to hitting the barriers.
Romain Grosjean also moved up the order to take fifth, shuffling Raikkonen down to sixth, Max Verstappen to seventh and Daniel Ricciardo to eighth.
Kevin Magnussen was ninth while Valtteri Bottas spun through Blanchimont and, already facing a back-row start due to his engine penalty, did not set a time in Q3.
Toro Rosso duo Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley claimed 11th and 12th respectively, the latter spinning under braking for La Source as he began his final Q2 effort, forcing the pursuing Gasly to back off.
Sauber’s Charles Leclerc showed strong pace in Q1 but was unable to replicate that in Q2 and took 13th, in front of team-mate Marcus Ericsson, who undertook just a single run in the session early on.
Nico Hulkenberg, already set for a back row start on account of his engine penalty, did not run in Q2.
Carlos Sainz Jr. complained of “no rear grip” from his Renault R.S.18 as he was dumped out in the first knockout session, placing 16th.
The respective terrible seasons for McLaren and Williams continued as none of its representatives made it through Q1.
Fernando Alonso was 17th, in front of Williams duo Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll, while Stoffel Vandoorne qualified at the back for his home Grand Prix.
It meant Vandoorne finished last of the 20 participants in each session this weekend.
Sunday’s 44-lap Belgian Grand Prix will begin at 15:10 local time
