Hamilton on pole, Massa close behind

Eurosport - Sun, 07 Sep 12:41:00 2008

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was perfectly placed to extend his Formula One championship lead after seizing pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday.

2008 Belgian GP McLaren Hamilton - 0

The 23-year-old Briton will start Sunday's race with Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, his main title rival, alongside on the front row.

Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who has won the last three Belgian Grands Prix at his favourite circuit, qualified fourth with fellow-Finn Heikki Kovalainen third for McLaren.

The pole position, with a fastest lap of one minute 47.338 seconds on a damp and overcast afternoon in the Ardennes forests, was Hamilton's 11th of his 30 race career and fifth of the season.

Hamilton leads Massa by six points in the championship with six races remaining, while Raikkonen is a further seven points adrift and struggling to end a winless streak dating back to the end of April.

Hamilton will be chasing his fifth win of the year on Sunday in a race that also marks the 40th anniversary of the team's first Formula One victory.

Germany's Nick Heidfeld, under pressure from BMW-Sauber to raise his game, outqualified Polish team mate Robert Kubica for only the second time this season with fifth place on the starting grid.

Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso, maintaining his 100 percent record of outqualifying Brazilian rookie team mate Nelson Piquet, joined Heidfeld on the third row with Australian Mark Webber seventh for Red Bull.

Kubica was eighth with the two Toro Rossos of Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais, who was surprisingly quickest after the first session, and young German Sebastian Vettel filling the fifth row.

McLaren, who suffered a Ferrari one-two at Spa last year, are celebrating the 40th anniversary of late founder Bruce McLaren's first grand prix win at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix.

Reuters

Comment 104 - 123 of 123

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  1. Lewis Hamilton is 'lucky' to be in his current position at the top of the drivers' championship, his former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso said at Spa Francorchamps.

    "We'll see how it ends," the Spaniard, who most certainly is not the 23-year-old Briton's biggest admirer, told the Spanish newspaper Diario AS.

    "I feel it is the same as last year; fast at all the circuits, very steady, but with luck always on his side," Alonso continued.

    The 27-year-old points out that without Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa's recent engine failures, or Raikkonen's exhaust problem on the way to victory in France, Hamilton's position would not be as comfortable.

    YES ALONSO...............................ALONSO FOR FERRARI ...............................@#$% JEFF FAKER..JEFF F..JEFF FAT JEFF FART..JEFF FUKCED UP IN THE @#$%............

    From Gears Of War, on Sun 7 Sep 12:49PM
  2. we advertised on internet withour photo ___ within one afternoon 82 girls replied -- most + revealing pics

    From Sfa D, on Sun 7 Sep 12:16PM
  3. the time is almost here let battle begin

    From scrooloos, on Sun 7 Sep 11:56AM
  4. if senna was around he would show how it was done!

    From patabc14, on Sun 7 Sep 11:35AM
  5. Is time for Hamilton to make a difference and he will! Those of you that doubt his capabilities will see what he is capable of. He is like no other driver in the circuit and he will make a name of himself in this race. Go and get then Hamilton, show them what you got! Ish

    From me, on Sun 7 Sep 11:14AM
  6. jestyn.thyme, your comment (#130) about 'delivery drivers' is completely out in left field... if you were right, there would not be such a discrepancy in the value of the contracts these young men sign...

    From sagittarius1958, on Sun 7 Sep 10:53AM
  7. very cool, forza and vinnydawg67... i guess mjhzxc was right, this page looks more menacing with all the cars 'parked' on it!! p.s. jeff f, although i like your pic, your comment #129 is unnecessary, besides, i'm not sure that ferraris are ever 'offered' to just anyone...

    From sagittarius1958, on Sun 7 Sep 10:49AM
  8. "There is no ferrari that puts the fear in me..... they are not unbeatable or indestructable and i couldnt give two hoots for any ferrari if you tried to give me one.... i might accept it though thinking about it just to burn it out or drop it from a crane on clarksons show ...or even drop a old caravan onto it ...mmmmmm now there is an idea for top gear! ...one less ole @#$% on the road."

    that comment is idiotic... are you an idiot?

    From Karl, on Sun 7 Sep 10:31AM
  9. any points for this mjhzxc?

    From vinnydawg67, on Sun 7 Sep 9:21AM
  10. i respect your comment kimi_subash. It will happend

    From suren_twisted, on Sun 7 Sep 8:30AM
  11. It's true. The best comparison I've found is watching the GP2 drivers on the same circuits as the F1 guys often in the same weather conditions, they are all over the place, in to walls, taking each other out etc. Most of the hype about how 'safety car prone' Valencia was gonna be was based on the exploits of the GP2 drivers hitting walls. The F1 guys are way, way above and beyond most.

    From mark, on Sun 7 Sep 8:06AM
  12. well jeff sweetie ----- its the CAR wot does it ____ __--- TOTALLY AUTOMATIC EVERYTHING
    +----------------------------+++ INSTRUCTIONS ADVICE & HINTS FROM THE PITS THROUGHOUT

    BRING BACK CABLE BRAKES++++++ MANUAL GEARBOX

    delivery driver just sits back to steer round & round ____ ---- to follow car in front in circles

    From jestyn.thyme, on Sun 7 Sep 8:05AM
  13. There is no ferrari that puts the fear in me..... they are not unbeatable or indestructable and i couldnt give two hoots for any ferrari if you tried to give me one.... i might accept it though thinking about it just to burn it out or drop it from a crane on clarksons show ...or even drop a old caravan onto it ...mmmmmm now there is an idea for top gear! ...one less ole @#$% on the road.

    From JEFF F, on Sun 7 Sep 7:52AM
  14. I agree with some peoples comments on here, Hammond from top gear couldnt even string a lap together and i doubt anybody on here could either.... i have had the opportunity to do just that when jorden were about as i have a close friend who still works within that team (force india now) and i couldnt even move the car... and the noise a formula 1 car makes just on tick over is something you cannot comprehend and must take ages to get use to as its like standing next to a jet engine without earmuffs! I am that joe average and with all the guidance around me i still couldnt make a F1 car move!! Credit where its due gentlemen these drivers are all at the pinnacle of motorsport and ive no idea how they race around lap after lap on the edge but..... it must be totally immense.

    From JEFF F, on Sun 7 Sep 7:46AM
  15. sagittarius1958 and Forza Ferrari, that's at least a hundred points I got to give out easily. Feel free to return to your original pics. However in the interest of Ferrari/McLaren relations you should know that that particular Ferrari puts the fear of god in to any self respecting McLaren fan! An absolute beast.

    From mark, on Sun 7 Sep 7:35AM
  16. Why all the critical comments about Hamilton?? He is adept at driving a car very quickly, young Andy Murray can hit a tennis ball and Wayne Rooney kick a football. Hamilton is doing what he does best and there is no doubt, he is very very good. There are no adjectives or superlatives that can possibly described his ability, if ,as some of his critics suggest, he is a flash in the pan, then why does he repeatedly have success after success. ???
    Go for it Lewis and show the tommy knockers how!!!!!!

    From John, on Sun 7 Sep 6:17AM
  17. mjhzxc -- Here you go!!

    From Forza Ferrari, on Sun 7 Sep 3:59AM
  18. kimi_subash -- yesssssssss

    From sagittarius1958, on Sun 7 Sep 3:40AM
  19. i think that this track is kimi raikkonen's track. he has won three times in a row. so my vote is going to kimi raikkonen to win this race despite qualifying 4th. hamilton and massa are lighter on fuel. i expect hamilton and massa pit earlier and give kimi raikkonen a chance

    From Subash, on Sun 7 Sep 3:33AM
  20. mjhzxc -- don't quote me, but i think the other one was a 2007... how's this one??

    From sagittarius1958, on Sun 7 Sep 3:28AM
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