Saturday is Qualifying day on an F1 weekend and when the feeder series like Formula 2 and Formula 3 have their Sprint Races. An action-packed Saturday translates into an early morning start and it isn't easy to get out of bed after a late Friday night.

Thankfully, I had rested well and was able to stick to my schedule for the day!

Enroute to the circuit :

Good morning, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps :

Taking the Polestar shuttle to the Paddock Club :

The view of the Paddock on a cloudy Saturday morning :

Overcast conditions to begin the Saturday proceedings :

Some Coffee and Croissant to kickstart the day :

Carlos Sainz Jr visits the Ferrari F1 Club for an interview on Saturday morning :

Video Link of the Interview :

The menu for today :

Oliver Bearman took the win in the first F3 race of the weekend. Shots from the Parc Ferme :

Video Link of the Parc Ferme Celebrations :

The Podium celebrations followed shortly after :

Video Link of the Podium Celebrations after the F3 Sprint Race :

Lunch is served :

The first pit lane walk on Saturday :

Some shots with the Samsung S22 Ultra :

The Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team garage, looking regal as ever :

Felipe Drugovich, the MP Motorsport driver who eventually became the F2 Champion this year :

A Selfie with Arthur Leclerc, Prema Racing!

Emerson Fittipaldi, Double World Champion and a legend of F1 :

Theo Pourchaire, Sauber Driver Academy and ART Grand Prix Formula 2 Driver :

Walking through the support Race Paddock and you discover some classics :

Time to capture some stills from FP3, just after the La Source hairpin :

Shots from FP3, from the comfort of the Ferrari F1 Club :

The Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team running its program in FP3. With Charles Leclerc starting at the back of the grid due to engine penalties, all hopes were on Carlos Sainz Jr to deliver in Qualifying as well as on Sunday.

Post FP3, the drivers lined up on the grid to practice their race starts :

Practice Starts at the end of FP3 ( Video Link ) :

The cars and the drivers return to the pit lane at the end of Free Practice 3 :

Post FP3, I decided to visit the garages housing the F1 Classic Cars and what a treat it was to behold these beauties, up close and personal!

It was then that I spotted a famous racer from Colombia chatting outside the F2 dining area.

So happy to see Tatiana Calderon back in F2 with Charouz Racing :

Soon enough, it was time to head back to the Paddock Club for the start of Qualifying.

Some stills from Qualifying. I had the privilege of being in the garage for Q2 and Q3.

Despite a mistake on his final run, Carlos Sainz Jr inherited the pole position, thanks to Verstappen's grid penalty. While Verstappen got bumped down to P14, Leclerc started P15.

As I walked back to the Paddock Club, I bumped into Zhou Guanyu from Alfa Romeo F1 Orlen. 

Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo F1 Orlen Team :

Post Qualifying, the guests in the Ferrari F1 Club had the opportunity to meet Mattia Binotto, the Team Principal for a quick Q&A :

Mattia Binotto Interview in the Ferrari F1 Club ( Video Link ) :

As Mattia Binotto said goodbye to us, it was time to enjoy the F2 Sprint Race and post that I had the opportunity of seeing a couple of the podium finishing cars up close :

Once again, just like in Hungary, I met my hero, the Legend! Mick Doohan, 5-time Moto GP World Champion, again! 

Meeting those from the F1 Fraternity didn't end there. From there on, met a plethora of people!

Jack Doohan, Mick Doohan's son, who finished P2 in the F2 Sprint Race :

Stoffel Vandoorne, Reigning Formula E World Champion :

Nyck De Vries, reserve driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

James Vowles, Chief Strategist, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Nicholas Latifi, Williams Racing F1 Team :

Jost Capito, CEO and Team Principal, Williams Racing F1 Team :

Frederic Vasseur, MD, CEO and Team Principal of Alfa Romeo F1 Orlen Team :

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team :

Otmar Szafnauer, CEO and Team Principal, Alpine Racing F1 Team :

Lando Norris, McLaren Racing F1 Driver :

Peter Bonnington, famously known as Bono, Lewis Hamilton's Race Engineer :

Time to say goodbye to Spa Francorchamps and head back to the hotel. It had been a long day!

The Saturday Vlog from the Belgian Grand Prix on my Youtube Channel :

I headed back to Hasselt around 10 pm. This was the longest that I had ever been at a race track. It was a fulfilling day meeting drivers and F1 personnel, besides interacting with fellow fans during those hours. 

With Carlos Sainz Jr starting in P1, things looked encouraging, most of us hoped to see him secure his 2nd win of the season. 

Thank you to Edge Global Events for organizing the race passes, as well as to the hosts of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Club for giving me yet another memorable Saturday at the races!

The Raceday experience follows shortly after this, so watch this space!