Jenson Button will start in ninth while British rookie Jolyon Palmer qualified 14th albeit almost half-a-second slower and two places behind his Renault team-mate Kevin Magnussen.
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The green flags didn’t stay out for long after this, Kevin Magnussen losing control of his Renault at Radillion, slamming into the barriers at frightening speed.
“I would definitely have taken that before the race”, said Hamilton.
Hamilton started from the back of the field after he was served with a grid penalty following a number of engine changes here this weekend.
It means Hamilton’s lead at the top is down to nine points as the Formula One circus heads to Italy, Monza next weekend.
Hamilton always knew he would have a tough race in Spa because he faced grid penalties for using too many engine parts after reliability problems early in the season.
“In general, I had everything under control because I just had an awesome auto out there, and Lewis wasn’t there to battle it out, which made it a less-difficult weekend”. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who is playing second fiddle to Verstappen, starts the race from fifth spot. “So, it all came together and it was feeling good so I am very pleased about that one”.
German Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth ahead of his Force India team-mate Sergio Perez, as the Silverstone-based team overhauled rivals Williams in the constructors’ championship.
Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg (Centre) celebrates after winning the Belgian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen’s hopes of a strong race after securing a front row start on Saturday was ended when he was involved in a collision with the Ferrari duo of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen and subsequently finished down in 11th.
Magnussen was led away limping with an ankle injury, his vehicle wrecked, while the safety auto came out.
Raikkonen said: “It went pretty well on the second run, but I lost two-tenths in the last chicane. Still, tomorrow is the race and I feel satisfied”.
“After the chequered flag, I looked at the results and I knew Daniel was behind me and then I see “HAM” in P3 and I was like ‘What?”
Mercedes and Hamilton had come to accept that Hamilton would be forced to take grid penalties at some point during this season, and so the team opted to fit many new components to the vehicle during practice this weekend.
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His team-mate Jenson Button qualified ninth, splitting the Williams of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa.
