AFC1986
09-15-2007, 04:07 PM
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44118000/jpg/_44118456_raikkonen203.jpg
Raikkonen is 18 points behind Hamilton in the drivers' standings
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen edged a thrilling qualifying session to take pole for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
The Finn's lap of one minute 45.994 seconds was just 0.017secs clear of team-mate Felipe Massa, with McLaren's Fernando Alonso 0.080secs further back.
Alonso's team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled to match the Spaniard all weekend, was fourth fastest but 0.395secs adrift.
The BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica and Williams's Nico Rosberg were next up.
Kubica's team-mate Nick Heidfeld, Red Bull's Mark Webber, the Toyota of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen's Renault completed the top 10.
Scot David Coulthard was 13th fastest in his Red Bull, just ahead of English Honda driver Jenson Button.
The leading positions set the stage for a classic battle in Sunday's race at the end of one of the most dramatic Grand Prix weekends in recent years.
The on-track action has been overshadowed by the fall-out from the spy scandal that has seen McLaren thrown out of this year's constructors' championship and fined £49.2m for possessing confidential Ferrari information.
But the times in qualifying were much closer than had been suggested in the morning's final practice session, when Ferrari were well ahead of McLaren.
Raikkonen has appeared the likely pole winner throughout the day, but McLaren - or Alonso at least - are much closer to the Ferraris on pace than had been expected.
At one stage it had appeared as if Alonso had cracked under the strain of what must have been an extremely taxing weekend for the Spaniard.
The double world champion spun at the Rivage hairpin on his first flying lap, so the pressure was intensified as he and his three main rivals started their final runs.
But he responded in style, pushing Hamilton down to fourth, and coming close to joining Raikkonen on the front row.
Alonso said: "We are quite confident for the race. We knew Spa was maybe a little bit more like Turkey, where Ferrari were very strong, and we expected them to be strong and fighting for the win here.
"We don't know if we can fight for the win, but we hope it will be closer than in Turkey."
The two McLaren drivers head into the race, which starts at 1300 BST on Sunday, with Hamilton just three points ahead of Alonso.
Raikkonen is their closest challenger, 18 points behind the Briton.
He is still suffering from a sore neck after his 180mph crash at Monza last weekend, but he said he is in shape to take what would be his third consecutive victory at Spa.
"The neck is OK," Raikkonen said. "It is not 100% right but it should be fine.
"The circuit is very challenging - a lot of people like it. It is a proper circuit for F1 cars, long corners and very flowing. I like it and it is good for me.
"We knew Monza would be a bit tricky for us and we expected to be strong here, but it is going to be close."
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Final qualifying positions for Belgian Grand Prix:
1. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1 min 45.994 secs
2. Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:46.011
3. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:46.091
4. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren 1:46.406
5. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:46.996
6. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams - Toyota 1:47.334
7. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:47.409
8. Mark Webber (Aus) RedBull - Renault 1:47.524
9. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:47.798
10. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Renault 1:48.505
11. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 1:46.603
12. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 1:46.618
13. David Coulthard (GB) RedBull - Renault 1:46.800
14. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 1:46.955
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:47.115
16. Alexander Wurz (Austria) Williams - Toyota 1:47.394
17. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:47.581
18. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 1:47.954
19. Takuma Sato (Jap) Super Aguri - Honda 1:47.980
20. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Spyker - Ferrari 1:48.044
21. Anthony Davidson (GB) Super Aguri - Honda 1:48.199
22. Sakon Yamamoto (Jap) Spyker - Ferrari 1:49.577
credit: bbc sport
the start of tommorow's race will be so crucial as there is not much distance between the grid and the first corner which is a very slow corner and neither of the title contenders can afford to have any trouble but i think raikkonen will win tomorrow as he has shown so much raw pace all weekend and he has a good record around spa
Raikkonen is 18 points behind Hamilton in the drivers' standings
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen edged a thrilling qualifying session to take pole for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
The Finn's lap of one minute 45.994 seconds was just 0.017secs clear of team-mate Felipe Massa, with McLaren's Fernando Alonso 0.080secs further back.
Alonso's team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled to match the Spaniard all weekend, was fourth fastest but 0.395secs adrift.
The BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica and Williams's Nico Rosberg were next up.
Kubica's team-mate Nick Heidfeld, Red Bull's Mark Webber, the Toyota of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen's Renault completed the top 10.
Scot David Coulthard was 13th fastest in his Red Bull, just ahead of English Honda driver Jenson Button.
The leading positions set the stage for a classic battle in Sunday's race at the end of one of the most dramatic Grand Prix weekends in recent years.
The on-track action has been overshadowed by the fall-out from the spy scandal that has seen McLaren thrown out of this year's constructors' championship and fined £49.2m for possessing confidential Ferrari information.
But the times in qualifying were much closer than had been suggested in the morning's final practice session, when Ferrari were well ahead of McLaren.
Raikkonen has appeared the likely pole winner throughout the day, but McLaren - or Alonso at least - are much closer to the Ferraris on pace than had been expected.
At one stage it had appeared as if Alonso had cracked under the strain of what must have been an extremely taxing weekend for the Spaniard.
The double world champion spun at the Rivage hairpin on his first flying lap, so the pressure was intensified as he and his three main rivals started their final runs.
But he responded in style, pushing Hamilton down to fourth, and coming close to joining Raikkonen on the front row.
Alonso said: "We are quite confident for the race. We knew Spa was maybe a little bit more like Turkey, where Ferrari were very strong, and we expected them to be strong and fighting for the win here.
"We don't know if we can fight for the win, but we hope it will be closer than in Turkey."
The two McLaren drivers head into the race, which starts at 1300 BST on Sunday, with Hamilton just three points ahead of Alonso.
Raikkonen is their closest challenger, 18 points behind the Briton.
He is still suffering from a sore neck after his 180mph crash at Monza last weekend, but he said he is in shape to take what would be his third consecutive victory at Spa.
"The neck is OK," Raikkonen said. "It is not 100% right but it should be fine.
"The circuit is very challenging - a lot of people like it. It is a proper circuit for F1 cars, long corners and very flowing. I like it and it is good for me.
"We knew Monza would be a bit tricky for us and we expected to be strong here, but it is going to be close."
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Final qualifying positions for Belgian Grand Prix:
1. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1 min 45.994 secs
2. Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:46.011
3. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:46.091
4. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren 1:46.406
5. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:46.996
6. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams - Toyota 1:47.334
7. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:47.409
8. Mark Webber (Aus) RedBull - Renault 1:47.524
9. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:47.798
10. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Renault 1:48.505
11. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 1:46.603
12. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 1:46.618
13. David Coulthard (GB) RedBull - Renault 1:46.800
14. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 1:46.955
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:47.115
16. Alexander Wurz (Austria) Williams - Toyota 1:47.394
17. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:47.581
18. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 1:47.954
19. Takuma Sato (Jap) Super Aguri - Honda 1:47.980
20. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Spyker - Ferrari 1:48.044
21. Anthony Davidson (GB) Super Aguri - Honda 1:48.199
22. Sakon Yamamoto (Jap) Spyker - Ferrari 1:49.577
credit: bbc sport
the start of tommorow's race will be so crucial as there is not much distance between the grid and the first corner which is a very slow corner and neither of the title contenders can afford to have any trouble but i think raikkonen will win tomorrow as he has shown so much raw pace all weekend and he has a good record around spa