Vettel's Q2 time takes back lap record at Spa from Porsche LMP1 car

Although he didn't take pole position at Spa on Saturday, Sebastian Vettel did set the fastest lap of the day in the second qualifying segment, beating teammate Kimi Raikkonen's effort from earlier in the session with a time that is the fastest ever around Spa-Francorchamps.

The ultimate lap record was set in April by a specially designed LMP1 car from Porsche, the 919 Hybrid driven by Neel Jani set a 1:41.770s which became a huge point of bragging rights for sports car racing until qualifying this weekend.

Whilst the Porsche was free of restrictions and set up to beat the record time, Vettel's time of 1:41.501s took back the track record for Formula One and was not beaten for the rest of the day after rain fell as Q3 got underway.

The Scuderia had looked in prime position to take pole, Mercedes had kept them honest all weekend but the red cars looked to have the beating of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, the latter out of contention from the beginning of the weekend as he will start at the back of the grid serving a grid penalty for new power unit components.

Raikkonen had looked strong all weekend until he was forced to join both Red Bull's in the pit lane having run out of fuel to set another time in the dying moments of final qualifying.

Vettel had the best of the conditions being the last car over the line to set a time in Q3 but his final effort was not enough to beat Hamilton to pole position, the Mercedes driver proving his undeniable skill in the wet when it counts to take a record fifth pole position at Spa-Francorchamps.