| 13:50:40
| Welcome to F1-Live.com and live coverage of the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session. As ever, the session is broken into three lots of 15 minutes. |
| 13:52:13
| Ferrari returned to the top of the timesheets this morning with Kimi Raikkonen leading the way with a best lap of 1:46.137s, two-tenths clear of team-mate Felipe Massa. Ferrari are especially strong on the longer runs, but first lap pace has so far been relatively slow. |
| 13:54:04
| Fernando Alonso seems to have the pace again to show the way to Lewis Hamilton this weekend as the McLaren duo set the third and fourth fastest times. In warmer conditions yesterday afternoon, McLaren were the team to beat and that combined with Ferraris slow first lap pace, could make qualifying very interesting. |
| 13:56:04
| Behind the top two teams, Renault and Toyota were closely matched this morning with Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli fifth and sixth fastest ahead of Nico Rosberg in his Williams Toyota. BMW Sauber are struggling a little at this track as Heidfeld was just eighth fastest while team-mate Kubica suffered an engine failure and will therefore take a ten position drop after qualifying. |
| 13:58:06
| Ralf Schumacher was ninth fastest this morning, underlining to pace of the Toyota this weekend while Mark Webber has shown well for Red Bull Renault with the tenth fastest time. Toro Rosso is also worth keeping an eye on as both Vettel and Liuzzi seem to have improved pace and may challenge to get into Q2. |
| 14:00:05
| The first qualifying session is now underway. |
| 14:00:33
| The first qualifying session is now underway. |
| 14:00:54
| As ever, the slowest six drivers are eliminated at the end of Q1 and Q2, leaving the fastest ten to take race fuel on board and go for the pole position in Q3. |
| 14:01:41
| The softer tyre is said to be worth half a second, so the front runners will try and save those for Q3, while those fighting to move up the order will use the softer tyre from the outset. |
| 14:02:17
| Kovalainen, Fisichella, Schumacher, Yamamoto, Sutil, Trulli out on track. |
| 14:02:58
| Sutil is on his first timed lap. He is on the hard tyre. |
| 14:03:40
| The back end steps out slightly on the Spyker at Malmedy. |
| 14:04:02
| Others now on track as the first timed laps are underway. |
| 14:04:30
| Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Massa and Heidfeld remain in the pits. |
| 14:04:48
| Sutil and Yamamoto both pit without completing a timed lap. |
| 14:05:16
| Based on this morning's time, a time of 1:48.1 is the target time to make it into Q2. |
| 14:05:33
| Trulli sets the initial pace from Kovalainen and Fisichella. |
| 14:05:56
| Kubica now fastest in the BMW Sauber. |
| 14:06:43
| Alonso and Hamilton now on track as is Heidfeld. |
| 14:07:09
| Kovalainen takes a second timed lap and improves. he is third and should be safe on that time. |
| 14:07:20
| Rosberg now moves seconds fastest. |
| 14:07:48
| Massa remains in the pits. Raikkonen is on track. |
| 14:08:12
| The Ferrari team are taking the engine cover off Massa's Ferrari. A problem for Ferrari. |
| 14:08:49
| Fisichella downwards on the timing screen will need to find more time to make it into Q2. |
| 14:09:25
| Fisichella downwards on the timing screen will need to find more time to make it into Q2. |
| 14:10:33
| Alonso is now fastest from Raikkonen, Hamilton and Heidfeld. |
| 14:10:57
| Massa heads out as Raikkonen is now second. |
| 14:11:50
| Ralf Schumacher is down in 18th. He cannot afford another bad qualifying run with Toyota. |
| 14:12:39
| Three minutes remain and Schumacher goes back out. All but the fastst six will probably run again. |
| 14:12:56
| Massa and Yamamoto yet to set a time. Both on track now. |
| 14:13:19
| All but the fastest four back out for one last lap. |
| 14:13:56
| Massa on a fast lap. |
| 14:14:36
| Massa moves second fastest. Job done after a scare in the pits. |
| 14:15:05
| A number of drivers on faster laps and will improve. |
| 14:15:26
| Sutil takes the chequered flag and is 12th in his Spyker. |
| 14:15:47
| Liuzzi is sixth in his STR. |
| 14:16:05
| Ralf Schumacher moves sixth in his Toyota on the sift tyre. |
| 14:16:14
| Coulthard now seventh |
| 14:16:26
| All change as Rosberg is now seventh. |
| 14:16:50
| Kovalainen moves eighth |
| 14:18:10
| Eliminated after first qualifying are Vettel, Barrichello, Sato, Sutil, Davidson and Yamamoto. |
| 14:18:38
| Liuzzi found himself bumped down from sixth to 16th but makes the cut in his Toro Rosso Ferrari. |
| 14:19:18
| Alonso set the pace in that session with a 1:46.06 best. |
| 14:19:36
| A short pause now before the second round of qualifying. |
| 14:22:09
| Q2 is now underway. |
| 14:22:36
| No one out as yet. |
| 14:24:58
| Here we go as Fiaichella heads out on soft tyres. |
| 14:25:19
| Now Trulli, Coulthard, Schumacher, Kovalainen and Button going out. |
| 14:25:48
| Others now going out with just over 11 minutes remaining. |
| 14:26:24
| The McLaren duo head out together. Massa and Raikkonen on track. |
| 14:27:07
| This morning, a 1:47.5 would get you into the top ten, so this afternoon a time a few tenths quicker than that should be enough. |
| 14:27:21
| Fisichella is on his timed lap. |
| 14:28:37
| Fisichella sets the initial pace on a 1:46.7. That will be close... |
| 14:28:50
| Kovalainen now fastest from Schumacher and Fisichella. |
| 14:29:21
| A good lap from Webber who moves second. |
| 14:29:38
| Raikkonen moves fastest and is safe. |
| 14:29:56
| Hamilton moves second fastest and is safe. |
| 14:30:09
| Massa and Alonso move third and fourth. |
| 14:30:44
| Heidfeld and Kubica on their first timed laps. |
| 14:31:22
| The fastest five at the moment should be fast enough so they do not need to take a second run in this session. |
| 14:31:56
| Kubica passes the two Ferrari drivers at the end of the lap. |
| 14:32:24
| Kubica and Heidfeld move fifth and seventh. |
| 14:32:50
| Massa takes fuel ready for Q3. That is his session down. The same for Raikkonen. |
| 14:33:34
| Fisichella is 11th and the first driver to be eliminated as it stands. All but the fastest few will run again. |
| 14:34:07
| The BMW duo are heading back to the pits, They will have time to change tyres and run again if needed. |
| 14:34:18
| The Renault duo head back out. |
| 14:34:52
| All but McLaren and Ferrari going back out. |
| 14:35:22
| They will all be on their flying lap after the chequered flag falls. |
| 14:36:34
| Kovalainen starts his timed lap with 40 seconds remaining. |
| 14:37:02
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 14:37:27
| Webber (8th) has not started his timed lap in time. |
| 14:37:51
| They are all on fast laps now. |
| 14:38:16
| Kovalainen pits as he was not on a better lap. |
| 14:38:28
| Fisichella moves tenth. |
| 14:38:43
| Trulli moves ninth fastest. |
| 14:39:43
| Webber pits having missed the chequered flag. Bad error but it seems he has got away with it! |
| 14:40:15
| Eliminated after second qualifying are Fisichella, Schumacher, Coulthard, Button, Liuzzi and Wurz. |
| 14:40:49
| Trulli's final lap moved him into Q3 and demoted countryman Fisichella. |
| 14:41:44
| Few surprises so far in qualifying. Webber was fortunate to retain eigth position but a good performance. |
| 14:42:15
| A pause now before Q3. Race fuel is now added to the remaining ten for the final session. |
| 14:44:02
| Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest lap time in Q2 on a 1:45.07 |
| 14:44:49
| Hamilton is at the head of the pit lane with others lined up behind him. |
| 14:45:40
| Q3 is now underway. This is the fuel burn phase of the session as they put in some laps on older tyres before taking the first of two sets to go for a time. |
| 14:46:04
| Massa passes Hamilton into Les Combes |
| 14:47:13
| Wurz is looking glum on the pit lane. He should be too as he was a second off Rosberg and is now out of the session. |
| 14:48:00
| Massa is on his first timed lap. This is race pace at the moment and not that relevant for the grid order. |
| 14:48:55
| Hamilton sets the initial pace from Massa. |
| 14:49:09
| Now Raikkonen second fastest from Massa and Heidfeld. |
| 14:49:41
| They are a couple of seconds off Q2 pace at the moment. |
| 14:50:04
| Alonso is trying to pass Rosberg on track. |
| 14:50:31
| Alonso gets ahead into Fagnes. |
| 14:50:49
| Massa pits his Ferrari for his first set of soft tyres. |
| 14:51:01
| They are all pitting after three laps. |
| 14:52:51
| Massa is now on his first qualifying lap of Q3. |
| 14:53:43
| Raikkonen and the others are now on their first qualifying laps. |
| 14:54:21
| A lot of steering input from Massa. |
| 14:54:43
| Massa sets the initial pace |
| 14:54:59
| Raikkonen now fastest as Hamilton moves third. |
| 14:55:23
| Alonso spins his McLaren at Rivage. |
| 14:55:58
| Alonso ran wide and the back end spun around. He completes the lap and is of course tenth. |
| 14:56:40
| Alonso is trying for a second fast lap it looks like... |
| 14:57:05
| Raikkonen, Massa and others pitting for a second and final set of tyres. |
| 14:57:18
| Alonso does pit. |
| 14:57:35
| Alonso has the pressure on now. |
| 14:58:07
| Alonso is the final driver to leave the pit lane and will therefore be the final driver to complete his timed lap. |
| 14:59:23
| They are now on their final timed laps. |
| 14:59:54
| Hamilton has a BMW not far ahead of him. It is Kubica. |
| 15:00:00
| The chequered flag is out |
| 15:00:24
| Raikkonen is looking strong at the start of the lap. |
| 15:00:42
| Massa moves fastest for now iun his Ferrari |
| 15:01:10
| Hamilton is second now. |
| 15:01:21
| Raikkonen moves fastest in his Ferrari. |
| 15:01:38
| Alonso moves third fastest. It is an all Ferrari front row. |
| 15:02:18
| A great lap from Rosberg moves him sixth fastest, fifth on the grid as Kubica will take an engine change penalty. |
| 15:03:07
| So Raikkonen on the pole from Massa, Alonso. Hamilton, Kubica (-10), Rosberg, Heidfeld, Webber, Trulli and Kovalainen. |
