F1 Belgian GP qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more

Max Verstappen topped Friday practice for Red Bull, leading Renault's Daniel Ricciardo, with F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton only third for Mercedes.

It turned out to be an eventful FP2 session for Ricciardo as he briefly topped the times before being shuffled back to second by his former Red Bull team-mate, while the Australian's session was ended prematurely by a hydraulics issue with his Renault.

Verstappen doesn't believe he can fight for pole position this weekend, while the ban on using different engine modes has been delayed until the next race at Monza, as he targets a maiden Belgian GP win and Red Bull's first victory at Spa since 2014.

Hamilton fully expects Red Bull to be a contender for victory against the dominant Mercedes package after admitting his team has work to do following Friday practice despite taking a 1-2 in the opening session.

Further down the order, it was another painful day for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc 15th and Sebastian Vettel 17th at the end of FP2, with the Monegasque driver conceding he was surprised to see his team so far off the pace.

Away from Spa, F1 confirmed the second Bahrain race, the Sakhir GP, will use the outer layout of the Bahrain International Circuit for the penultimate round of the 2020 season.

What time does qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix start?

Qualifying for the Belgian GP starts at 3pm local time (2pm BST), using the regular Q1, Q2 and Q3 knockout session format.

Date: Saturday 29 August 2020
Start time: 3pm local time - 2pm BST

How can I watch qualifying?

In the United Kingdom every F1 practice, qualifying and race is broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with qualifying coverage starting at 1pm BST.

Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of qualifying for the Belgian GP at 6.30pm BST. Autosport will be running a live text coverage of qualifying.

What's the weather forecast for qualifying at Spa?

Sunny and cloudy conditions are forecast throughout Saturday at Spa with a minimal chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to see highs of 19 degrees Celsius, which is set to be the same temperature that FP2 was held in.

Belgian GP FP2 result