We rate the drivers after Belgium

Started: 1st Finished: 1st
Strategy: 3 stops (option-option-option-prime)

Sebastian Vettel started the race in the full expectation that Red Bull's tyre problems would make victory close to impossible. This was despite taking his ninth pole position of the season after a faultless run throughout qualifying.

"I didn't feel very comfortable right at the beginning but then through Q2 we could make a big step forward," he said. "I rediscovered Spa in a way and found some better lines, so that was an important step. Then, in Q3, I tried to make my way around the first two laps to get the temperature into the tyres. Then on the last one I tried to push as hard as I could. It was a very good lap."

Vettel held the lead at the start, but lost the lead to Nico Rosberg on the run to Les Combes. He repassed him two laps later and from then on it was simply a case of whether the tyres would last.

Despite having to pit for the first time at the end of lap six, he had few problems executing a three-stop strategy. The team was razor-sharp to call him in when the safety car was deployed and from there Vettel controlled the race, stopping once more on lap 30 for medium tyres and going on to take his seventh win of the season.

Along the way there were some impressive overtaking moves, including ones around the outside of Rosberg at Blanchimont and Fernando Alonso as Les Combes, which only added to another Vettel masterclas.

Verdict: Vettel simply did not put a foot wrong all weekend. Kept calm despite the tyre problems and was patient when Rosberg took the lead early on and, as usual, starred in qualifying.

Started: 3rd Finished: 2nd
Strategy: 2 stops (option-prime-prime)

The Australian was in good spirits all weekend with the official announcement of his new one-year Red Bull deal and a 35th birthday to enjoy. He remained in good spirits after qualifying despite finding himself on the second row. Was a potential polesitter had he not gone too hard, too soon, on his rubber in Q3.

"I probably went a bit too hard on the slicks initially," admitted Webber, who had more to worry about than his grid position given Red Bull's tyre tribulations.

Things got even more worrying at the start, as the revs dropped too low and the anti-stall kicked in. He did well to finish the first lap as high as eighth, but given his track position the team opted to bring him in for prime rubber after three laps. From then on, Webber was flying - with a balls of steel pass on Alonso at Eau Rouge on lap eight the clear move of the race.

He was up to third place by the time the safety car came in at the end of lap 16 - largely because a radio signal telling him to pit was never received - and spent the rest of the race reeling in the Spaniard, passing him on lap 37, running medium rubber again in the final stint, to complete an unexpected Red Bull one-two.

Verdict: Was quick enough to take pole and would surely have been at least second had he not gone too hard on his tyres. The bad start meant that his race was heavily compromised, but Webber flew on the medium compound and exploited the full potential of the machinery to climb to second. That move at Eau Rouge is worth a high rating in itself!

Started: 2nd Finished: Retired - accident
Strategy: 1 stop before retirement (option-option)

It was, yet again, a weekend defined by on-track incidents for Hamilton that sadly overshadowed the fact that he was very quick at Spa.

The first flashpoint came during Q2 as Hamilton was on his last lap and still outside the top 10. He came upon the two Williams-Cosworths of Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado, who were stuck behind Heikki Kovalainen's Lotus. Hamilton scythed inside the Venezuelan at the chicane and made the cut comfortably, but the pair clashed coming down the hill from La Source on the slowdown lap - after the chequered flag. Hamilton was given a reprimand having been found to have had a minority stake in the clash, and did a stunning job to qualify second in Q3 in a car that was very second-hand after the incident.

"I saw Maldonado approaching quite quickly," said Hamilton. "He came around me and I didn't move anywhere but he happened to swipe across me. I don't know whether it was intentional or not."

Hamilton slipped to fourth at the start and was soon bumped down to fifth by Alonso. He soon passed Felipe Massa and Rosberg, briefly leading before his first stop.

Then, after passing Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber for fourth, the Japanese came back at him on the approach to Les Combes. Hamilton moved left and spun himself into the wall.

"I don't really know what happened, but I hit the wall pretty hard and my race was immediately over," said Hamilton. "I was ahead, so I don't know why I got hit."

Hamilton escaped any action by the stewards, but his slender championship chances are now probably over.

Verdict: Qualifying clash with Maldonado was forgivable, but he was at fault for the clash with Kobayashi that ended his race. It was a small misjudgement, but such errors have cost him a lot of points this year.

Started: 13th Finished: 3rd
Strategy: 3 stops (prime-option-option-option)

In wet/dry conditions seemingly made for Button, the 2009 world champion ended up qualifying on the seventh row after a communication problem during Q2.

"It's a bit of a shock being down in 13th, especially after Q1 where I was quickest by a second," said Button. "It was a miscommunication. I should have kept pushing on my second lap, but I didn't realise I only had that lap to go. I cooled the car down and tried to look after the tyres again for the next lap, but there wasn't a next lap."

Fortunately, Button made amends in the race. The decision to start on the medium compound tyres paid dividends as he pitted on lap three to start running through his three sets of option rubber.

When the safety car pulled in, he ran 10th and was already onto his second set of softs.

Passing Sergio Perez, Vitaly Petrov, Michael Schumacher, Adrian Sutil, Massa and Rosberg to climb to fourth by the time he made his final stop.

On soft rubber, he picked off Alonso during the final stint to take a well-deserved third place. But it was far from straightforward.

"I think if I'd stayed in 13th after the start it would have been a lot easier to challenge these guys but it was mayhem," said Button. "At Turn 1 I think Paul di Resta hit my rear wing, so half the rear-wing end plate was gone. Then, driving to Eau Rouge, somebody's front wing blew off and went through my front wing and took the wing mirror off, which was a bit scary. Then I was really struggling for grip. The front wing was damaged and the guys said 'we know it is but keep going until we get to lap five'. We did. We came in and changed the front wing, put option tyres on and did the rest of the race on options."

Verdict: After qualifying misfortune, did a superb job during the race in tricky circumstances. He was fast, passed effortlessly - and not only in the DRS zone - and was rewarded with third place. Even if he had started on pole, that was probably the ultimate result for a McLaren..

Started: 8th Finished: 4th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-prime-prime)

Headed to Spa with high hopes, but weather conditions were against him in qualifying. The rain wasn't a major problem, but track temperature was and after getting mired in traffic during Q3, he couldn't keep his Pirelli rubber lit.

"Traffic was a factor, because I did not complete a clean lap in Q3," said Alonso. "Apart from the traffic, we were not competitive enough to fight for the pole, so I was never at the level of the top three. In these temperatures, on a damp track, fourth was what was possible for Ferrari."

Despite being down in eighth, Alonso wasted no time getting in on the action. Up to fourth at the end of the first lap, he hit the front for the first time on lap seven. As combative as ever, and showing that he wasn't willing to wait only for the opportunities presented by the DRS to overtake, he looked every bit the potential winner early on.

Unfortunately, as it became apparent that Red Bull had got on top of its tyre troubles, the chasm in performance between the championship-leading team and Ferrari became clear and Alonso was reeled in and passed for second by Webber during the final stint and then lost third to Button with three laps remaining - track temperature and prime tyres again a bad combination for the Scuderia.

Verdict: Probably could have made more of qualifying, but in the race there was always the fear that the Ferrari would struggle on prime rubber and he was powerless to keep Webber and Button behind.

Started: 4th Finished: 8th
Strategy: 4 stops (inter-option-option-option-prime)

For the second race in a row, Massa was able to outqualify Alonso and probably fourth on the grid was as strong as the Ferrari could have been given the low temperature conditions in Q3.

Massa mixed it at the front early on, but as is often the case he proved unable to hang in there with the frontrunners and settled into a battle for fifth with Rosberg by the middle stages of the race.

On a two-stop strategy, he most likely would have finished between fifth and seventh, but a puncture shortly after making his final stop meant that he had to make a third visit to the pits for new prime rubber.

"It was rather a strange race for me. In the opening phase I was absolutely in the fight for the top places, but then I started to have tyre problems and the car seemed to no longer be so well balanced. With the Mediums, the situation improved, maybe also down to an adjustment to the front wing which we made at the pitstop, but we were not quick enough, as was clearly evident and by then it was too late."

This relegated him to 11th, but he was able to pick off Paul di Resta and Maldonado before Petrov's last corner spin promoted him to eighth.

"It was rather a strange race for me," said Massa. "In the opening phase I was absolutely in the fight for the top places, but then I started to have tyre problems and the car seemed to no longer be so well balanced. With the Mediums, the situation improved, maybe also down to an adjustment to the front wing which we made at the pitstop, but we were not quick enough, as was clearly evident and by then it was too late."

Verdict: Qualified very well, but had another one of those races where he struggled to match Alonso for pace. Even without the puncture, it would have been a so-so result.

Started: 24th Finished: 5th
Strategy: 3 stops (prime-option-option-option)

Started the weekend celebrating the 20th anniversary of his F1 debut, but had no chance of repeating his qualifying heroics after shedding his right-rear wheel on his outlap in Q1 and clattering the barrier. The wheel detaching was the legacy of a cross-threaded wheelnut and it left him on the 12th row of the grid for the first time in his F1 career.

The one positive was that throughout practice, Schumacher had looked strong, proving on Friday morning that he was pushing hard with a spectacular slide on the power at the exit of Rivage that, although not quick, had the crowd on its feet.

In the last four races, Schumacher has shown better race pace than Rosberg but thrown better results away through a penchant for losing his nose and spinning. At Spa, he dispensed with the one mistake per race pattern and was one of the stars of the race.

He was one of only two drivers to start on the prime (medium) compound, binning the slower tyre with a fourth-lap pit-stop after climbing to 14th on the opening tour. By the time the safety car was called in at the end of lap 16, he was up to seventh.

Schumacher passed Sutil for sixth a few laps after his final stop and used the speed advantage of option rubber to reel in his team-mate, passing him for fifth with three laps to go.

Verdict: It wasn't Schumacher's fault that he started from the back, but he executed his race to perfection, lapping consistently quick on his three fresh option sets, passing with relative ease and deservedly passing Rosberg late on.

Started: 5th Finished: 6th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

Nico Rosberg's Belgian Grand Prix ran to a familiar pattern - qualifying strongly as the best driver from outside of the big three teams, and running well in the early laps but then fading to the natural level of a Mercedes.

Fortunately, he had the chance once again to remind everyone that he is a potential racewinner in the right car by passing Vettel for the lead on the run to Les Combes on the opening lap. He held first place for a couple of laps before being re-passed by Vettel once the DRS was enabled but proved that he was in no mood simply to let the faster cars swallow him up by defending stoutly against the likes of Alonso, Massa and Hamilton.

After the safety car period, he ran sixth before repassing Massa for fifth, but the way that the race panned out meant that he slipped into the clutches of his team-mate Schumacher by the end of the race. He was relegated to sixth with two laps remaining, which was no surprise seeing as he was on the slower prime tyre, Schumacher having run that compound during the first stint.

"It was special to be leading the race at Spa early on," said Rosberg. "During the race, I had to push all of the time to stay ahead of the group behind me, so it's no surprise that at the end I had to save fuel. Unfortunately, Michael was on the right tyre at the end."

Verdict: As usual, excelled in qualifying, and had no business to be leading the race in the early going. Kept it all together in the race and was powerless to keep Schumacher behind in the closing stages.

Started: 7th Finished: 13th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

A grand total of 301km of testing at Jerez in February and 25 laps in Friday practice at the Hungaroring was the sum total of Bruno Senna's experience of the Renault R31 prior to this weekend. It showed when he backed it into the wall at the corner with no name (Turn 9) on his eighth lap in Friday morning practice in wet conditions.

With few dry laps under his belt, it was just as well that qualifying was wet. Always quick in such conditions, Senna made it through to Q3 comfortably. But his performance in the top 10 shootout was remarkable. With a clear dry line, his lack of running on slicks during the weekend left many anticipating he would be 10th, only for the Brazilian to turn in a lap good enough for seventh.

Considering he had lost 0.3s because the DRS did not open on the long straight during his best lap (he was within a quarter-of-a-second of sixth-placed Rosberg), it was a superb performance.

"Just getting to Q3 was a massive victory for me," he said. "I knew that I could push, especially on the last few laps because I had not much to lose to be honest in that situation. I didn't want to make a mistake, go off and crash, so in that sense I wasn't pushing 100 per cent. But I was pushing where I knew I could push and get away with outbraking myself a little bit. And I think where other people mistakes I didn't and the result is there."

Hopes were high for the race, although Senna kept them in check by describing a points finish as a "dream". Sadly, the race turned into a nightmare at the start as he locked up under braking for La Source and clattered into Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso. Cue a pitstop for a new nose and a drive-through penalty that knocked him out of points contention despite the free pass of the safety car that allowed him to close back up.

"Unfortunately, I misjudged the grip under braking on the inside and hit Jaime," said Senna. "With the penalty, I tried to push as hard as possible from the back to see what I could get. The pace was okay."

He ran 15th when the safety car was pulled in at the start of 17 laps, but struggled with oversteer having gone a little hard on his tyres and a stop for prime rubber four laps later dropped him back to last place. From there, he lapped pretty well and climbed to 13th by the finish.

Verdict: His qualifying performance was special, but it was almost inevitable that things would be harder in the race. Rightly took full responsibility for hitting Alguersuari at the start, which was a big error. But thereafter did a decent job in the race and learned a lot about how to manage the tyres over a race distance.

Started: 10th Finished: 9th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

Eighteen months into his F1 career, Petrov was cast as a lead driver for the first time after Renault opted to drop Nick Heidfeld in favour of reserve driver Senna. But while the pressure was on, few paid much attention to what was a decent weekend for the Russian despite being eclipsed by his old GP2 rival in qualifying.

Petrov made it through to Q3 comfortably, setting the fifth fastest time in Q2, but a disappointing run in the top 10 shoot out left him 4s off pole.

"In Q3 I spun in Turn 16," he said. "I don't know why it happened because it wasn't even a fastest lap. I didn't show my performance in the dry conditions because my tyres were flat-spotted.

With Renault's new floor and exhaust developments working well, Petrov was able to run in the points throughout the race. Although he couldn't do anything about Sutil's Force India and the Mercedes, he was set for eighth place before spinning at the last corner after running out of front brakes after a solid two-stop run.

"We've made a big step forward with the car and you can see that I was in top 10 contention for all of the race - and close to the Mercedes," he said. "However, we lost out on our top speed which meant I found it difficult to overtake.

"For the final laps, I was driving differently to compensate for the brake concerns, but unfortunately I spun right at the end."

Verdict: Kept a low profile all weekend, but did a good despite being beaten by Senna in qualifying after a tyre-damaging error. Had a quiet race, and while it's probably unfair to be too harsh on him for the final-corner spin, he had a few seconds over Massa and perhaps could have taken it a little easier.

Started: 14th Finished: 16th
Strategy: 3 stops (option-option-prime-option)

With memories of his first pole position in F1 way back in 1994 spurring him on, Barrichello wasn't unhappy to see wet conditions at the Spa track. With Williams brining an upgraded diffuser, which worked well, to Belgium, he knew that he had a sniff of adding to his meagre four-point tally for the season.

Unfortunately, traffic in qualifying in the form of Kovalalainen cost him a potential Q3 slot despite the Brazilian's best efforts to get past him.

"It was a lost opportunity," said Barrichello. "Today we had bad traffic and apart from that it was one of those situations that I like very much. The track was very mysterious. If you look at my laptime, if I had just a little bit more of a gap that I could finish the lap without traffic, I would have been in Q3. But it was not Heikki's fault - when your car is not competitive, what can you do?"

Barrichello was hoping for more of the same weather during the race, but despite being disappointed with the dry conditions he was in the mix for points. By the time the safety car pulled in at the start of lap 17, he was in 11th place only to lose ground around his second pitstop, albeit after slipping behind his team-mate Pastor Maldonado.

"I lost time fighting with Rosberg during the in-lap for my second pitstop, which was unfortunate as it lost me time and points, which I think I could have scored."

He was in 13th once the final pitstops had been completed and had aspirations of passing Kobayashi, di Resta and Maldonado for the final point, but clattered into the Japanese at the chicane at the end of lap 40, forcing him into the pits for a new nose and fresh rubber.

Third fastest race lap was a small consolation, albeit largely down to having a fresh set of softs for the final laps, but more positive was that he could see the team making progress with the car.

Verdict: The whole weekend was a missed opportunity for Barrichello. Qualifying would have been much better but for Kovalainen, but he had a decent run in the race. Clash with Kobayashi was born largely out of desperation to fight his way into the points, but was unnecessary.

Started: 21st (five-place grid penalty) Finished: 10th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

On a weekend where the Williams drivers were keen not to court controversy, the Venezuelan's high-profile collision with Hamilton after the chequered flag in Q2 wasn't what Maldonado was looking for.

His chances of making it to Q3 in the damp conditions had been ruined by traffic, with Kovalainen's Lotus bottling up Barrichello and Maldonado at the end of the lap, leading to Hamilton passing the latter on the inside into the final chicane. On the run down the hill on the slow-down lap, Maldonado was passing Hamilton when the pair came together. Both were found guilty of causing a collision, although Maldonado earned the lion's share of the blame, hence his five-place grid penalty.

Maldonado admitted that he was disappointed that he was hit with a penalty, while Hamilton received only a reprimand, although he did accept that both had played their part in the clash.

"I tried to overtake him because he slowed down quite a lot," he said. "It's like a straight, but there's a turn and maybe at that moment he was turning and I was a bit straight. It's difficult to say.

"There was not any reason for both drivers to do anything after the chequered flag. It's clear that there was a mistake on both sides."

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Maldonado to climb into points contention in the race. He ran 17th at the end of the first lap, but moved up to 10th on lap six, partly thanks to cars ahead pitting. But with Williams brining a new diffuser to Spa that worked well, rear tyre degradation was improved in comparison to recent races and the ability to run a two-stop race meant that he didn't fade from the fringes of the points as in previous races.

During his second stint, he passed Barrichello to take 10th place, but moved up to ninth after Massa had his two pit visits in three laps. While he was powerless to keep the Brazilian behind him, slipping to 10th on lap 38, the Venezuelan was quick enough to keep di Resta at bay in the closing stages and became the first driver from his country to score in F1 since Johnny Cecotto at Long Beach in 1983.

"I'm really happy - especially for my country, for myself and the team," said Maldonado. "We're improving and the car was competitive today. We had a great race and the strategy was okay, so everything was positive. The car was fantastic, especially thanks to the consistency and the tyre wear was not big.

"With prime tyres I was worried because we never tried them in dry conditions, but we took a step forward in this race."

Verdict: The clash with Hamilton was unnecessary and embarrassing, putting a big blot on his copybook. But Maldonado put that behind him on Sunday and looked assured in the race, passing when he needed to, making the tyres last well and holding up well under late-race pressure. A points finish has been on the cards for months, and was richly deserved.

Started: 15th Finished: 7th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

Despite having to sit out Friday afternoon practice to allow Nico Hulkenberg to drive, Sutil had good reason to be confident heading into qualifying. The Force India has been getting stronger with every race and Sutil himself excels in mixed weather conditions thanks to his ability to find traction quickly. He was on target for Q3 until he took too much wet kerb at Raidillon, losing control at 260kph and clattering into the barrier.

"It was a difficult qualifying session with the conditions but I felt quite confident," said Sutil. "In Q1, the time wasn't perfect for us because we went into the pits a bit early because I didn't have any fuel. P14 was enough, but not representative of performance because the grip was getting better.

"Then, in Q2, it was looking good. I had one flying lap and it was very quick, enough for P5, but then I smashed it into the wall. It was a driving mistake and maybe I pushed a bit too much in this corner. It could have been worse."

Things improved markedly in the race as Sutil survived the messy first corner to run 11th. The clash between Sebastien Buemi and Perez knocked two of the cars ahead of him out of contention on lap five and from there his race went as well as it could have done.

A sharp call to make his first pitstop when the safety car was deployed ensured that he maintained his position. Schumacher was the only drive to get ahead of him from there on in, passing him for sixth using the DRS on lap 34, but given the pace of the Mercedes Sutil was rightly very pleased with his result.

"This result is a fair reflection of the pace we have had this weekend," he said. "It's nice to have recovered from the problems we had yesterday to leave here with these important points."

Verdict: Blundered in qualifying, but made up for it in the race with a very assured drive.

Started: 17th Finished: 11th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

The Scot hadn't raced at Spa since the 2005 F3 Euro Series, so the wet conditions that prevailed throughout practice hurt him more than most. A brush with the wall at the corner with no name (Turn 9) late in FP1 didn't cost him a great deal despite causing him to be late out for the start of afternoon practice.

Despite having only a few laps of dry running under his belt, he was confident of being able to make it into the top 10 in qualifying. But despite a brief spin at the chicane on his penultimate lap in Q1, the team reckoned that the time he had done was enough to make the cut and called him in. Kovalainen, who had been slow in the wetter first sector, but made hay between Les Combes and Blanchimont on his final lap, promptly bumped him.

"I got caught out by the rain in sector three," said di Resta. "It was very dry there at the start of Q1, but I just lost it on the brakes and spun. But there was time to do another lap. We were halfway through it when I was called back to the pits.

"There were definitely a few mistakes in there. It is frustrating. I'm pretty sure we would have been quicker than Heikki Kovalainen."

The frustration continued at the first corner, where he was clattered by Timo Glock's Virgin. The Force India suffered damage to the floor, radiator and front wing, giving di Resta understeer problems for the rest of the race.

"I had a very good launch and it was all going smoothly," said di Resta. "Timo just ran into the side of the car and from there on there was just understeer. Other than that, the pace was strong.

"We were fairly unlucky with the safety car because we were due in on that lap but Adrian had priority, so that changed things."

Verdict: When the race restarted on lap 17, di Resta was 13th. From there, he jumped Barrichello's Williams at the final pit-stop, and capitalised on Perez's problems to finish a creditable 11th, within a couple of seconds of a point.

Started: 12th Finished: 12th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

Unusually, the Japanese was the less spectacular of the two Sauber drivers to watch during Friday practice, although the 1.125s deficit to his team-mate Perez during the brief period of dry running on Friday afternoon was largely down to Kobayashi having only one lap on the soft compound Pirellis just as the rain started to come down again.

Having emphasised the need to improve qualifying performances in cooler track conditions, the Japanese came within a tenth-and-a-half of making it two Saubers in Q3. That he came up just short was largely down to timing as he was among the earlier drivers to take the chequered flag as conditions improved in Q2.

The Japanese climbed to ninth and he was running fourth having not yet stopped when Hamilton blasted past on lap 13. But as the pair approached Les Combes, Kobayashi's top speed advantage allowed him to edge alongside Hamilton on the outside. The McLaren moved over on the Sauber, hitting Kobayashi's front-right wheel and putting Hamilton heavily into the barrier. Kobayashi sustained no damage, but the failure to pit as soon as the safety car was deployed was very costly.

"It was a difficult race," said Kobayashi. "I had a good start but unfortunately after the safety car we didn't pit in and lost out. It wasn't bad strategy, but we had a little miscommunication."

When the race restarted, he was down in 14th, and was 12th at the flag after passing Barrichello on strategy and team-mate Perez's retirement.

Verdict: Should have done better in qualifying, but was doing a good job in the race when Hamilton moved over on him. But what really cost him was not pitting at the end of that lap, which left him mired terminally in the thick of the midfield.

Started: 9th Finished: Retired - axle damage
Strategy: 3 stops before retirement (option-option-prime)

With most of free practice being a washout, one of the few things the crowd had to smile about was Perez in maximum attack mode - a highlight being a lairy moment at the exit of Blanchimont.

The Mexican converted that spectacular form into his third Q3 appearance of the season, running seventh at the end of the first lap after Senna and Alguersuari clashed at the first corner. After spending the first four laps wedged behind Buemi's Toro Rosso, he hit the back of the Swiss driver.

"Buemi changed his line in front of me under braking," said Perez. "I tried to avoid hitting him but couldn't as I had lost downforce."

The stewards begged to differ, hitting Perez with a drive-through penalty, but it was a while before he was hit with it, meaning that he had to serve it after the safety car period. This left him in Lotus territory, but it wasn't long before he was forced to retire with rear axle damage.

Verdict: A very accomplished qualifying performance was ruined by his mistake while following Buemi. Another reminder that no matter how fast he is, Perez needs to keep it clean.

Started: 11th Finished: Retired - rear wing mounting damage
Strategy: -

The Swiss was very upbeat heading into the weekend that the team's new DRS rear wing would give an all-round pace improvement in qualifying, an area that has been a major Achilles Heel as the season has gone on. It was difficult to judge how much STR's upgrade package, which included a new rear wing, was worth, but very limited dry running in practice gave some positive indications.

Buemi came agonisingly close to joining his team-mate in Q3, but a small error on his best lap meant that he missed out.

"I managed to do that right lap until the end, when I made a small mistake," he admitted. "I am a bit angry with myself for that."

He was more angry the next day when his brilliant start to run sixth was ruined when Perez clattered into him.

"Perez tried to pass me and simply drove into the back of me, which completely destroyed my rear wing," said Buemi. "I really can't understand what he was doing, as I was clearly ahead of him."

Verdict: Solid qualifying performance was overshadowed by his team-mate's showing, but he at least had the chance to show that he could run at the front by holding sixth prior to Perez's assault.

Started: 6th Finished: Retired - suspension damage
Strategy: 0 stops before retirement

The Spaniard's brilliant qualifying almost went unnoticed among the excitement surrounding Senna's seventh place. But with Toro Rosso taking a good step forward with its new front and rear wing, Alguersuari sailed through Q1 and Q2 before turning in an outstanding performance on the dry line in the top 10 shoot out after leaving the pits at the front of the queue.

"This was my best ever performance and the best for the team this year," said Alguersuari. "We have done a good job, not just on the car but in the way we managed the session, being first out of the pits to get a clear track."

Unfortunately, Senna came back to haunt him at the start. Alguersuari made a good getaway, but the Brazilian locked up on the inside line into the hairpin and clattered into the Toro Rosso. Alguersuari was pushed into Alonso's Ferrari, suffering damage to his front-left suspension. And that was that.

To his credit, Senna was quick to accept the blame and apologise to Alguersuari, who is confident that the STR will remain a points threat, especially given that its improved DRS rear wing should allow it to continue to show improved qualifying form.

Verdict: His qualifying performance was brilliant, as was his start. He was an innocent victim in his own downfall, which meant that he didn't have the chance to prove he had the race pace to beat the Mercs, Renaults and Force Indias.

Started: 16th Finished: 15th
Strategy: 3 stops (option-option-option-prime)

The Finn was very upbeat about his chances after briefly sampling the Lotus T128 in dry conditions on Friday afternoon having sat out the first session in favour of reserve driver Karun Chandhok. In wet conditions, he delivered on that promise, putting in a superb lap at the end of Q1 to bump di Resta, who Force India had reckoned was safe, out of Q2.

"It was a pretty good lap, especially the middle sector," said Kovalainen. "I got everything out of it. The first sector and the last sector were already getting wet, so I was down after the first corner on the split times, but I was able to gain quite a lot. Sometimes in these conditions you only need a few corners to be a bit drier to make a difference and it was like that from Les Combes to Blanchimont."

Kovalainen's hopes - not to mention those of the whole Lotus team - suffered a major setback when he was punted into the sister car of Jarno Trulli.

"I got off the line well, but it all tightened up at the first corner and I touched Jarno after someone else had hit me," said Kovalainen. "But it all went pretty well from there."

Despite being classified last at the end of the first lap, Kovalainen made short work of getting ahead of the Virgins and the remaining HRT of Vitantonio Liuzzi and his two-stop strategy allowed him to get close to his team-mate and finish only 0.038s of a second behind.

Verdict: Not for the first time, Kovalainen delivered when the Q2 window of opportunity was open thanks to weather courtesy of a superb lap. Recovered well from the first corner clash, for which he was not responsible.

Started: 18th Finished: 14th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

AAfter his rebirth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he revelled in a new power steering system, Trulli looked a match for his team-mate. He qualified 0.4s behind him, which meant that he didn't join his team-mate in Q2, blaming traffic for costing him time.

"It was a shame we couldn't make the most of it," said Trulli. "But when everyone's out like that trying to get times in you're always going to have some issues with traffic. It's unlucky it hit my last run."

Despite the lack of KERS, Trulli made up some places on the run to the hairpin. This had the unfortunate consequence of putting him in the line of fire of Kovalainen, who had been pushed by the di Resta/Glock accident behind him.

"I suffered damage to the floor and I had to run the whole race with that, so to finish 14th after that is just fantastic. Apart from the start, I enjoyed the whole race. I passed a number of cars and when the safety car came out I was able to close the gap to the cars ahead. That gave me the chance to fight with the Renault and I passed him and was then able to keep pace with the other guys ahead."

Trulli finished only 6s behind Senna and manage and held off Kovalainen's last-lap attack to end up as lead Lotus.

Verdict: Qualifying was a missed opportunity, but had arguably his most combative race of the season despite almost losing 14th to Kovalainen at the line.

Started: 23rd Finished: Retired - wheel not attacjed
Strategy: 1 stop before retirement (option-option)

"In the first few races, there was a bit of room for exceptions because I was learning, but now I have done three races I'll expect more and the people supporting me are going to expect more," said Ricciardo, who went into the weekend ready to kick on after his initial grounding as an F1 race driver at Silverstone, the Nurburgring and the Hungaroring.

It's fair to say that his maiden Belgian Grand Prix will go down as 'character building', albeit largely down to circumstances.

The Australian admitted that he didn't nail his lap when conditions were at their best late in Q1, with his team-mate Liuzzi outpacing him on intermediate rubber by 1.4s. There was no question that the stewards would not allow him to start having missed the 107 per cent cut-off because of the weather conditions.

"Small mistakes cost quite a lot of time in these conditions," said Ricciardo, who was confident about having a strong race. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, despite climbing to 16th on the first lap, as after his first pitstop he was forced to retire with a loose rear wheel.

Verdict: Should have done better in qualifying, although it was another unfamiliar situation for him. After a great first lap, he lapped at a good, consistent pace before his early retirement

Started: 22nd Finished: 19th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

With few car updates to get excited about, the affable Italian was his usual upbeat self and determined to make the best of the limited machinery at his disposal. By his own admission, he didn't quite manage to do that during qualifying and was disappointed not to have beaten the Virgins.

"On my last lap, I lost around eight-tenths because I came up behind a slower car," he said. "I think we could have caught Glock."

Liuzzi was hopeful that he would be able to challenge the Virgins during the race, but the HRT didn't have the pace to do so. Despite running ahead of both Virgins on the first lap, he was passed by Jerome d'Ambrosio during the first stint and slipped behind Glock shortly after half distance to end up last on the road. Not that he could have done much more given the machinery.

Verdict: Kept his head up and plugged away at the task in hand commendably, but didn't have a car capable of finishing any better than last.

Started: 19th Finished: 18th
Strategy: 3 stops (option-option-option-prime)

Aside from a spin after losing traction on a white line during Saturday morning practice, the German had a smooth run into qualifying. As ever, the aim was to outqualify the HRTs and his team-mate, which Glock duly did in wet conditions after the team allowed him a fresh set of tyres for a second run in Q1.

Things went wrong at the start, however, as Glock locked up and slid into di Resta.

"I made a mistake," admitted Glock. "I hit the brakes, locked the front tyres and had no chance to avoid the crash with Paul. I have to say sorry for that - it was my mistake. I got a penalty and had to pit to get a new front wing and check the car as it felt a bit strange after we hit. But in the end, I just tried to bring the car home."

The two unscheduled visits to the pit-lane, one to change his nose and the other to serve his penalty, dropped him to the back. But in the grand scheme of things, it was not such a blow as he still finished ahead of the sole HRT - with the help of the safety car - and within 2s of his team-mate.

Verdict: The mistake at the first corner would have been more costly but for the fact that the Virgins only have HRT as realistic rivals, but beyond that it was a solid weekend.

Started: 20th Finished: 17th
Strategy: 2 stops (option-option-prime)

Seventeen years have passed since a Belgian last appeared on the grid in his home grand prix, and d'Ambrosio had a huge amount of support after an intense week of media build-up despite the knowledge that there was little more to aim for than finishing ahead of the HRTs.

He didn't benefit from the luck of the draw in qualifying, with the team opting to hedge its bets by leaving one driver out to lap on intermediates and letting the other have two runs. D'Ambrosio ended up running on worn tyres at the end of Q1 when conditions were at their best. That explained the two-second gap to Glock and it was an easy decision for stewards to let him into the race despite missing the 107 per cent qualifying cut-off.

"It didn't show on the timesheets, but until Timo came in for his second set of tyres, we were at a very similar pace," said d'Ambrosio. "It was a lottery and his strategy worked out. But it was a good call from the team to take two different strategies even though it would have been better for me to come in."

D'Ambrosio ended the first lap behind both of the HRTs after being delayed at the start.

"I had a good start and then Timo had his incident," he said. "There was loads of debris on the track and for half a lap the car felt funny. I don't know if something got stuck under the car and it took time to shake it out, but then it settled down and I could push again."

He moved ahead of Glock when the German had to serve a drive-through penalty for hitting di Resta and got ahead of Liuzzi after a tight battle early on. The demise of Ricciardo's HRT meant that d'Ambrosio was as far forward as he was going to get without them hitting problems, although he did have to save fuel late-on after the safety car ensured that the Virgins would have to complete one lap more than expected.

"I had to save fuel for 15-20 laps," said d'Ambrosio. It was the first time I've had to do it and I was trying to find a way that didn't lose me too much time. We didn't expect only to be lapped once."

Verdict: There was a huge amount of pressure on d'Ambrosio because of the home crowd, but he didn't show it. Wasn't far off Glock and did what he needed to do in the race.