Thunder and lightning are forecast for the Ardennes on Sunday, but bad weather here can blow out like a candle, or linger a lifetime.
The more extreme predictions have rain pelting down between noon and six. And Lando Norris, who took a pole for the first time in the land of his mother, declared: ‘Get ready for chaos.’
His pole may not count for that much if the Michael Fishes of the region are correct, but it was still a fillip for the Bristol-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 Briton after he finished only third in the sprint race earlier on Saturday.
That contest was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Norris’s team-mate Oscar Piastri second. This meant that Norris trails Piastri by nine points in the McLaren pair’s battle for the world title.
But Norris, watched by mum Cisca, put himself ahead of Piastri in qualifying for the main event by 0.085sec, the two papaya cars on the front row.
It is Norris who has won the only two wet races of the year, in Australia in March, and at Silverstone three weeks ago, albeit with a touch of fortune.
Lando Norris pictured waving to his supporters after claiming pole position in Belgium
Norris boosted his chances of winning the Drivers’ World Championship with a fine drive
There will be two McLarens at the front of the grid on Sunday, with Oscar Piastri second
‘I prefer it to stay dry, honestly,’ said Norris, aware the rain-lashed race here in 2021 ran just three laps. ‘But I don’t expect it to be dry. It may rain everywhere, or just on half the track. It could be chaos.’
Charles Leclerc qualified third, and Verstappen, a master in the wet as in the dry, was fourth best and complaining about his new machinery.
In contrast to Leclerc’s relative pleasure in his red car, Lewis Hamilton’s horror weekend took its latest wrong turn when his time was deleted for exceeding track limits in Q1.
He had been lying seventh but was plunged to 16th after planting all four wheels off the track at Raidillon, the fourth corner.
What a disappointing couple of days for the seven-time world champion! He had spun off at the close of qualifying for the sprint race at the Bus Stop Chicane. He started that contest 18th and improved to finish 15th.
‘I apologise to my team because it’s just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s,’ admitted the seven-time world champion. ‘It’s a very, very poor performance by me.’
So another inquest begins at Maranello, and no doubt in Hamilton’s psyche, bruised as it must be by a series of mistakes his younger self would never have made.
The leading Brit behind Norris was Mercedes’ George Russell, who qualified sixth, in contrast to team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s 18th. The Italian rookie is currently struggling to live up to considerable hype. But he is not 19 until next month and it is a gruelling season.
Ollie Bearman, meanwhile, felt he was impeded at the end of his out-lap in Q2 by Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda. It was a shame for the Es𝓈ℯ𝓍 boy, himself aged just 20, because he had promised much until that point. He will start 12th for Haas, so not too bad a showing.
An awful day for Aston Martin, with their two cars stuck to the bottom of the field: Lance Stroll last, Fernando Alonso a place above.
The pencil of their recently signed design guru Adrian Newey, who is paid £25million a year to draw a silver bullet, must be giving him tennis elbow.
