The Belgian Formula One Grand Prix will be held on Sunday.
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Mercedes executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe told BBC Sport that the team were likely to give Hamilton only the least possible running in qualifying – probably meaning only one run in the first session – because of his penalties.
Hamilton is not the only driver with engine penalties.
Lewis Hamilton was the fastest of the silver cars, despite a mistake-strewn final lap on a weekend when penalties mean he will start from the back.
Hamilton heads into the weekend gunning to become only the third driver ever to take 50 career wins.
“Today was very close”, the four-time world champion said, “and anyone in the top five or six has a chance tomorrow”.
The Briton is set to start yesterday’s race dead last after being hit with a cumulative 55-place grid penalty and, like yesterday, spent most of the session on refining his Mercedes’ long-run pace.
“I don’t think everyone had clear runs today, so the competitiveness is hard to judge”.
“I think overall the vehicle was good, we made a big step from yesterday and felt good through qualifying. To be so close to them, on a lap with some long straights, we can be very proud of that”. His best lap of minute and 46.744 seconds was enough to place him ahead of Verstappen, who impressed once again in front of thousands of his fans who made the short trip from Holland.
“I know how he races so I can adapt to that”, said Rosberg who was controversially penalised at the last race in Germany for a passing move on Verstappen which was deemed illegal by the stewards.
The Scuderia Ferrari driver, a Spa specialist with four victories at the legendary circuit, was 0.166 seconds behind pole sitter Nico Rosberg, but the understeer moment at the end of the lap also saw him fall behind Max Verstappen.
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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.
