Qualifying did not live up to expectations for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro nor did it reflect the potential of the F10. The starting grid for the Belgian Grand Prix will see the two Maranello cars line up in sixth and tenth places with Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso respectively. “We definitely cannot be happy with this result,” said Stefano Domenicali. “Qualifying was complicated by the changing weather conditions which might have been easy to predict from yesterday but, having said that, clearly we failed to extract all the potential at our disposal and now we have to understand why. We are expecting a difficult race tomorrow, when it will be important to try and make the most of every opportunity, especially as our main rivals will be starting ahead of us.”

Felipe Massa: “Definitely a difficult qualifying. Already this morning, we had seen that the McLarens and Red Bulls were quicker than us and they confirmed that this afternoon, when we had a few difficulties, failing to get the result we were expecting: which means we will be trying to improve our positions tomorrow in the race. As usually happens here in Belgium, you can predict that the changeable weather might play a crucial role: it will be vital to manage the situation as well as possible. On my first run in Q3 I got a good lap, but maybe it could have been a couple of tenths quicker, while on the second one, I immediately had rain at Turn 1 and I locked the wheels and I decided to pit without completing the lap, because I would not have been able to improve my lap time. If we have a track that is only slightly damp but not too wet, it could be a problem because the rain tyres get destroyed very quickly and it will be necessary to manage them very carefully.”

Fernando Alonso: “Obviously, I can’t be pleased with this result, but it has to be said that if there is one track where grid position is less critical than others, then it is this one, both because of the track characteristics and because the weather can be very changeable: in some cases the right decision at the right time can see you make up an advantage of a minute, therefore we will have to be clever and make the most of every opportunity. In Q3, I only had one set of new soft tyres left and I used it on my second run when, unfortunately, there was a bit of rain. There’s no point in making a drama over this tenth place: we must stay calm and concentrated, because qualifying is one thing and the race is quite another when the points are given out, not today.”

Chris Dyer: “We cannot be pleased with the outcome of this qualifying session. Of course, the fact the weather was so changeable made running the session more tricky, especially for Fernando, who found himself with just one set of new soft tyres left in Q3: when he used them there was just a short shower which prevented him from setting the time he was capable of doing and which would have seen him starting a bit higher up the grid. Spa is famous for being unpredictable in terms of the weather: and once again this was confirmed today, with the possibility that tomorrow’s race will also be similarly affected, therefore we will have to do a good job in managing the possible variables.”

Spa-Francorchamps, 28 August – If you had to pick a circuit at which to have a less than satisfactory qualifying session, then Spa would definitely be one of them, partly because this fantastic track provides real overtaking opportunities and also because the weather gods are unlikely to let the race pass without wishing to have their say at some point. The story of today’s three qualifying sessions is a tale of chaos and intermittent rain, with Felipe Massa securing a spot on Row 3 of the grid in sixth place and Fernando Alonso will start from Row 5 in tenth spot.

At the start of Q1, nearly all the cars were already lined up in pit lane waiting for the red light to change to green, in order to put in a “safe” lap time as soon as possible, because rain was due to arrive shortly. But before a single car had completed a flying lap, Petrov spun his Renault into the barriers which brought out the red flag. At the restart, when indeed the rain had arrived, another queue formed for the lights, this time with the majority of cars running intermediate rain tyres. Before the end of Q2, the track was drying again, which prompted another rush for the pits to go out on slicks. The final top ten shoot-out began in the dry: Felipe put in a competitive time on his first run, but his second one coincided with the rain returning. This was also the case for Fernando, but because the Spaniard only had one set of new softs, he had not got a first run in the bank and his second one was naturally not going to be as competitive as it took place on a damp track.

While there were plenty of surprises this afternoon, the pole position result maintained what is becoming a 2010 tradition, as Mark Webber recorded Red Bull’s twelfth pole in thirteen Grands Prix. The Australian shares the front row for tomorrow’s 44 lap race, with Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren, while the second row features the Renault of Robert Kubica in third and the other Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel fourth. Felipe shares the third row with Jenson Button in the McLaren, while between the two F10s are Barrichello, Sutil and Hulkenberg. Tomorrow’s 44 lap race could well be affected by changeable weather, but asking for an accurate forecast more than an hour or so before the start is a pointless question. The key, as always at Spa, will be to react quickly and in the right way to whatever the elements have in store.

Spa-Francorchamps, 28 August – Sixth and tenth places in qualifying is definitely not the result that was expected by Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, nor does it represent the true potential of the car. Felipe Massa was sixth fastest in Q3, making the most of the first set of new tyres, out of the two available, while on his second run, a sudden light shower prevented the Brazilian from improving. But it was even more penalising for Fernando Alonso who, with only one set of new soft tyres left, was unable to post a competitive time: hence the tenth place for the Spaniard on tomorrow’s starting grid.

Just for a change, pole position went to a Red Bull! This time it was Mark Webber. Alongside him at the start will be Hamilton’s McLaren, with the second row made up of the Renault of Robert Kubica and the Red Bull of Vettel.