Germany’s Nico Rosberg set the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday to seize pole position for the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.
The Mercedes-GP driver lapped the 7-kilometre long Spa-Francorchamps circuit in one minute 46.744 seconds.
Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was second quickest and will start alongside Rosberg on the front row for what is the closest the Dutchman has to a home race on the calendar.
Verstappen will be the youngest driver in Formula One history to start from the front row.
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Four-time Belgium winner Kimi Raikkonen was third for Ferrari.
World championship leader Lewis Hamilton, set to start last due to a 55-place engine-related grid penalty, drove only four laps at an easy pace and did not make it beyond the opening phase of qualifying.
The Briton heads into the weekend aiming to become only the third driver to take 50 career wins.
He has won six of the last seven races, four of those in succession, and leads Rosberg by 19 points in the standings.
STARTING GRID FOR THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX:
1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
4. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
5. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
6. Sergio Perez (Force India)
7. Nico Huelkenberg (Force India)
8. Valtteri Bottas (Williams)
9. Jenson Button (McLaren)
10. Felipe Massa (Williams)
11. Romain Grosjean (Ferrari)
12. Kevin Magnussen (Renault)
13. Esteban Gutierrez (Haas)
14. Jolyon Palmer (Renault)
15. Carlos Sainz Jr (Toro Rosso)
16. Pascal Wehrlein (Manor)
17. Felipe Nasr (Sauber)
18. Esteban Ocon (Manor)
19. Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso)
20. Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
21. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
22. Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
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