Racing Point Force India and Ferrari drivers were the fastest on the Spa Francorchamps straights while Hamilton was the fastest in the technical second sector where he was nearly four tenths faster than Vettel.
This year Ferrari is very fast on the straights, because of the powerful engine, due to the less downforce they use on most tracks and good slow speed traction.
That is why it is not surprising that the Ferrari drivers were the fastest in the first and third, and the Mercedes in the second sector.
SPA FRANCORCHAMPS
MAXIMUM SPEEDS (speed trap is 30 m after Turn 4)
Perez and Vettel are equal trough the speed trap behind the Turn 4 and Hamilton is 3.8 km/h slower. At the end of Kemmel, Perez and Vettel are still the fastest (Perez 0.1km/h faster), but Hamilton has reduced the gap and is just 1km/h slower than Vettel.
At the start finish line, which follows after strong acceleration from the super slow last chicane, the fastest was Raikkonen with 240.5 km/h, Vettel is 1.1 km/h slower and Hamilton more than 4 km/h behind. This confirms the theory of Toto Wolff, who said that Mercedes lost most of the time in the last and first corners which are the slowest on the track.
Hamilton was therefore the fastest at the end of the second sector, between turns 14 and 15, where Mercedes was 1-2 and Hamilton was 6.7 km/h faster than Vettel.
QUALIFYING TOP SPEEDS
BEST SECTOR TIMES
