SPA-FRANCO­RCHA­MPS: Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton took his 10th pole in 11 races on Saturday with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg qualifying second on the Belgian Grand Prix grid.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas qualified third for Williams and will be joined on the second row by Force India’s Mexican Sergio Perez due to a five-place grid penalty for Lotus’ Romain Grosjean ahead of him.

Hamilton, who is now assured of the Formula One pole trophy, leads closest rival Rosberg by 21 points after 10 of the season’s 19 races in drivers’ standings.

Rosberg dominated the first two practice runs on Friday, despite a scary tyre puncture in the afternoon session. But in the third run ahead of qualifying, Hamilton was faster by half a second.

This was the 30-year-old Briton’s 48th career pole. Hamilton is the first driver since Michael Schumacher in 2001 to claim six consecutive pole positions.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen failed to make it into the final phase of qualifying after his car’s engine cut and he ground to a halt on the track. The Finn’s German team-mate Sebastian Vettel qualified ninth but will start eighth.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2015

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