PALMER: Why Hamilton's Belgian GP weekend wasn't as disastrous as it appeared

Lewis Hamilton was extremely downbeat throughout Friday and Saturday in Belgium having exited both Qualifying sessions at the first hurdle, before his starring cameo launched him up the field in the wet phase of the Grand Prix to an eventual P7 finish.

But, actually, this wasn’t as disastrous a weekend as it might have seemed on the outside for Lewis.

His Qualifying performances were what left him understandably disheartened, failing to make the second part of Qualifying for either the Sprint or Qualifying proper. This – at a circuit he’s had a lot of success, including winning last year and on the back of a more encouraging run recently – was a set back, but it’s not necessarily the shocker it looks.