The Racing Points start eighth and ninth, Sergio Perez 0.07sec quicker than Lance Stroll, with Lando Norris completing the top 10.
Behind it, and ahead of the Ferraris, Daniil Kvyat outqualified Alpha Tauri team-mate Gasly for the first time in 2020, albeit by a hundredth of a second.
The battle behind Mercedes has been incredibly close all season and, at Spa, reached new heights. Consider that in Q1, less than four-tenths separated fourth quickest Gasly from Leclerc, 15th. In Q2, there was six hundredths between fourth- placed Verstappen and eighth-placed Ocon. And in Q3, six-tenths separated fourth-placed Ricciardo from tenth-placed Norris. Which, when you’ve taken the kind of backward step that Ferrari has, is all a bit embarrassing.
With its new Concorde Agreement signed, F1 looks to be in rude health. It’s just a shame about those W11s out front… It’s hard to see past Hamilton tomorrow although, given where we are and its unique microclimate, he may have some banana skins to negotiate. Then again, when has that bothered him?
Hamilton pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman after his pole lap
Francois Lenoir/AFP via Getty Images
2020 F1 Belgian Grand Prix qualifying results
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1min 41.252sec |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1min 41.763sec |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1min 41.778sec |
| 4 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 1min 42.061sec |
| 5 | Alex Albon | Red Bull | 1min 42.264sec |
| 6 | Esteban Ocon | Renault | 1min 42.396sec |
| 7 | Carlos Sainz | McLaren | 1min 42.438sec |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point | 1min 42.532sec |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point | 1min 42.603sec |
| 10 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1min 42.657sec |
| Q2 times | |||
| 11 | Daniil Kvyat | AlphaTauri | 1min 42.730sec |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 1min 42.745sec |
| 13 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1min 42.996sec |
| 14 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1min 43.261sec |
| 15 | George Russell | Williams | 1min 43.468sec |
| Q1 times | |||
| 16 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo | 1min 43.743sec |
| 17 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 1min 43.838sec |
| 18 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1min 43.950sec |
| 19 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 1min 44.138sec |
| 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1min 44.314sec |