• Belgian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Mercedes hopes rest with Spa weather

ESPNF1 Staff
August 28, 2010 « Barrichello praises team after qualifying seventh for 300th GP | »
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will be hoping for rain on Sunday © Getty Images
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Michael Schumacher will find himself in unfamiliar territory at the back of the grid after his ten place grid demotion means his Mercedes will line up sandwiched between the HRT cars.

Schumacher qualified 11th and his hopes of progressing up the field on one of his favourite venues now rests with the Spa weather.

"What a pity as I would have liked to be in the top 10 today obviously," said Schumacher. "I believe that we could have made it but unfortunately I had traffic on my last run so I could not push more at that point. Knowing I have to go back 10 positions on the grid anyway makes me hope for mixed weather conditions tomorrow. This would at least bring some movement into the race which could work out in favour or against us. Let's see what tomorrow afternoon will bring and what we can make out of it."

Team-mate Nico Rosberg will also have to fight his way up from the back of the field from 17th after suffering a five place grid demotion for changing his gearbox before qualifying.

"It's not been an ideal weekend so far and knowing that we have the five-place gearbox penalty, we decided to go for more of a rain set-up as it would be our only chance in the race tomorrow," said Rosberg. "The car was generally lacking grip today but the main problem was that I had traffic on my fastest lap in Q2 with a driver staying in front of me on his in-lap for the last half of the lap. We'll have to see what tomorrow brings but if it rains, then we are on the right set-up."

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