Lewis Hamilton led the second practice session at Spa-Francorchamps before rain brought an early halt to running.
The Mercedes driver lapped almost two seconds inside the pole position time set by Mercedes last year, though he didn’t set the quickest time in any of the three sectors around the seven kilometre track.
Just five-hundredths of a second covered Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. Daniel Ricciardo was quickest in the first and third sectors but lost too much time in the middle of the lap running a thinner rear wing on his Red Bull.
Nico Hulkenberg put his Renault in seventh, just two-tenths of a second faster than his under-fire team mate Jolyon Palmer. The two RS17s were separated by Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz Jnr.
Williams were unable to get Felipe Massa’s car ready in time for the second session following his crash during first practice, so he was unable to set a time. In a further setback for the team, Lance Stroll is under investigation for re-using one of the tyres which he was only supposed to run during the first 40 minutes of first practice.
Second practice visual gaps
Lewis Hamilton – 1’44.753
+0.262 Kimi Raikkonen – 1’45.015
+0.427 Valtteri Bottas – 1’45.180
+0.472 Max Verstappen – 1’45.225
+0.482 Sebastian Vettel – 1’45.235
+1.319 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’46.072
+1.688 Nico Hulkenberg – 1’46.441
+1.720 Esteban Ocon – 1’46.473
+1.808 Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’46.561
+1.917 Jolyon Palmer – 1’46.670
+1.990 Fernando Alonso – 1’46.743
+2.231 Sergio Perez – 1’46.984
+2.532 Romain Grosjean – 1’47.285
+2.550 Stoffel Vandoorne – 1’47.303
+2.697 Daniil Kvyat – 1’47.450
+2.803 Kevin Magnussen – 1’47.556
+3.108 Lance Stroll – 1’47.861
+4.461 Marcus Ericsson – 1’49.214
+4.972 Pascal Wehrlein – 1’49.725
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
Drivers times by tyres
| Driver | Team | Best ultra-soft time | Ultra-soft gap | Best super-soft time | Super-soft gap | Best soft time | Soft gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’44.753 | None | 1’45.634 | |||
| Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’45.180 | 0.427 | 1’46.331 | None | ||
| Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | 1’46.072 | 1.319 | 1’47.036 | 0.705 | None | |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1’45.225 | 0.472 | 1’46.481 | 0.15 | None | |
| Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’45.235 | 0.482 | 1’46.405 | 0.074 | None | |
| Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’45.015 | 0.262 | None | 1’47.049 | 1.415 | |
| Sergio Perez | Force India | 1’46.984 | 2.231 | 1’47.973 | 1.642 | None | |
| Esteban Ocon | Force India | 1’46.473 | 1.72 | 1’47.858 | 1.527 | None | |
| Felipe Massa | Williams | None | None | None | |||
| Lance Stroll | Williams | 1’47.861 | 3.108 | 1’48.331 | 2 | None | |
| Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 1’46.743 | 1.99 | None | 1’48.721 | 3.087 | |
| Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren | 1’47.303 | 2.55 | 1’48.128 | 1.797 | None | |
| Carlos Sainz Jnr | Toro Rosso | 1’46.561 | 1.808 | 1’47.176 | 0.845 | None | |
| Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso | 1’47.450 | 2.697 | 1’48.098 | 1.767 | None | |
| Romain Grosjean | Haas | 1’47.285 | 2.532 | 1’48.756 | 2.425 | None | |
| Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1’47.556 | 2.803 | None | 1’48.973 | 3.339 | |
| Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1’46.441 | 1.688 | 1’48.341 | 2.01 | None | |
| Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 1’46.670 | 1.917 | 1’48.815 | 2.484 | None | |
| Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 1’49.214 | 4.461 | 1’49.887 | 3.556 | None | |
| Pascal Wehrlein | Sauber | 1’49.725 | 4.972 | None | 1’50.880 | 5.246 |
Don’t forget your Predictions Championship entry
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2017 Belgian Grand Prix
- 2017 Belgian Grand Prix team radio transcript
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- 2017 Belgian Grand Prix Star Performers
- “That’s a BS call”: 2017 Belgian GP team radio highlights
- Hamilton equals Schumacher’s pole record with 41 races to spare
Hugh (@hugh11)
25th August 2017, 14:24
Red Bull looking good. Ricciardo was on a good lap but apparently got help up by Hamilton in sector 2 and lost 1.5s, but if I’m not mistaken he was quickest in sectors 1 and 3 (or at least he was at the time).
Homerlovesbeer (@homerlovesbeer)
25th August 2017, 14:44
Agreed.
Dan was on a decent couple of laps however was unfortunately slowed both times through sector two with traffic.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
25th August 2017, 15:16
He was fastest in the first and last sector largely because of the Monza style rear wing, as Sky explained. Maybe held up a bit – but largest deficit in the middle sector down to that setup.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
25th August 2017, 15:37
They won’t use the ultra-slim rear wing again.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-abandons-low-drag-gamble-at-spa-944694/
IvoIvanov
25th August 2017, 14:46
I don`t see how anybody will beat Hamilton for the pole! It will be an easy one for him. Let`s hope that the race will be a different story and Vettel and Raikkonen will manage to make his life tough!
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
25th August 2017, 15:05
Kimi looks consistent, man am I excited ! Come on Kimi let’s do this .
Erik
25th August 2017, 15:53
Hou Ahold be…it,s something special.
Erik
25th August 2017, 15:55
You should be…it,s something special.
KimiRaikkonen1207 (@kimiraikkonen1207)
25th August 2017, 16:11
Fingers crossed…
KaIIe (@kaiie)
25th August 2017, 15:17
Seems like the top three teams are clearly (and unsurprisingly) in a league of their own, while the midfield battle then is extremely close between basically rest of the field (apart from Sauber). Should make for some interesting Q1 and Q2 sessions.
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
25th August 2017, 17:42
Yes the gap to the midfield is scary isn’t it, Im just glad that this year two teams are battling it out and a third one will soon join the mix.
Andrey Baydin (@minilemm)
25th August 2017, 15:37
“Lance Stroll is under investigation for re-using one of the tyres which he was only supposed to run during the first 40 minutes of first practice.”
F1 is fun innit.
Nick Wyatt (@nickwyatt)
25th August 2017, 15:55
At the other end of the list, the Saubers really do have problems, don’t they?
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
25th August 2017, 16:09
Really love the ‘Drivers times by tyres’ table.
Thanks you for this great effort @keithcollantine
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
25th August 2017, 17:39
Yes agree that is just awesome !@ruliemaulana @keithcollantine
Allan
25th August 2017, 17:34
why do you think is the reason than Ocon is always on front on practice and somehow in qualy Perez always do something to turn the thing around?
Baron (@baron)
25th August 2017, 18:53
Vandoorne really needs to up his game. He’s on the latest spec engine.. He was once billed as the Second Coming. Let’s see it then, home Grand Prix, fresh motor, everything to play for…
joe jopling (@jop452)
25th August 2017, 20:15
It was said on TV that Williams could have probably finished the car for Massa to get a few runs in {yes I know it rained at the end} but then we were told the car had to be scrutineered…. again before they could run it…so no second practice.
Surely as this was practice and not qualifying, or the race…could they not have taken to the track, even if just to check all was well….the team would not send out a unsafe car…..
Think if all this is true, the rule needs modifying