Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton has equalled Formula One great Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 68 pole positions with a dominant performance at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Mercedes driver was fastest in every phase of qualifying to take pole with a time of 1min 42.553sec, a track record.

Ferrari’s championship leader Sebastian Vettel joined his title rival on the front row after pulling out a late flying lap of 1:42.795.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas qualified third for Mercedes with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was fourth.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, racing in front of a huge contingent of traveLling Dutch fans, qualified fifth ahead of his Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Hamilton goes into his 200th F1 race 14 points behind four-time world champion Vettel with nine races remaining in the season.