BMW Sauber have confirmed that they are retaining both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica for the 2009 season, with Christian Klien staying as their test driver.

“We see Nick and Robert as a strong driver pairing and Christian as an experienced test driver,” Mario Theissen explained. “We are in no doubt that we will again achieve our ambitious aims with them in the team’s fourth year.”

Lewis Hamilton took centre stage in Belgium for all the wrong reasons. Behind the scenes, Fernando Alonso was having the drive of his life after switching to wet tyres in the dying laps and slicing through the traffic to take fourth place.

A late gamble to switch to wet tyres coupled with an uncompromising overtaking manoeuvre in the final corner vaulted Fernando Alonso into fourth place in Spa-Francorchamps, as Renault bid to home in on their championship rivals.

Lewis Hamilton’s prayers were answered in the Belgian Grand Prix when the heavens opened with just a few laps to go, leaving the British ace to pick up the victory as Kimi Raikkonen slipped up and careered into the wall.

Lewis Hamilton is all too aware of the threat posed to him by Felipe Massa at the start of today’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The championship protagonists line up alongside each other for the second race in a row, and although there has yet to be a coming together, Massa’s sensational getaway in Hungary, in which he dived around the outside of Hamilton, will no doubt be playing on the Briton’s mind again.

Felipe Massa has conceded that McLaren have the advantage around the sweeping Spa-Francorchamps circuit after being pipped by Lewis Hamilton to pole position in qualifying.

Nick Heidfeld sent a stark reminder to his BMW employees that he is still every bit a threat to the front-runners after planting his car on the third row of the grid in Spa, keeping McLaren firmly in his sights.

One face noticably missing from the Spa-Francorchamps paddock yesterday was that of Williams driver Nico Rosberg. The German driver was reportedly at Silverstone, England, where he was sheking down a FW30. The move is slightly unusual because Nico Hulkenberg, the team’s test driver, would normally be expected to complete this sort of task.

Felipe Massa is expecting support from Kimi Raikkonen should he emerge as Ferrari’s best hope for the world championship.

Massa has fast emerged as Ferrari’s leading challenger for the title with Raikkonen having a torrid few races.

Kimi Raikkonen has admitted that his disastrous pit-stop which saw him injure the refuelling mechanic was entirely his fault. The current F1 world champion moved from his pit box too early whilst the fuel nozzle was still attached to his car. His actions caused the mechanic to be hit by both the refuelling rig and the rear tyre of Raikkonen’s car.