'I'm really happy for me and for the team,' said Trulli. 'We have been through a lot of difficult times this season and it is time our luck changed. I want to thank everyone, not just here at Spa, but back in the factory as well. I don't know if I could have taken pole from Hakkinen but, certainly, my last lap was quicker until I came across yellow flags just before the last corner and had to slow as a result. We had continued to make small changes to the car and the last change - before that final lap - made it really good. I found this an amazing circuit. Taking Eau Rouge and Blanchimont flat in a really competitive car was something I had not been able to do before. I enjoyed qualifying very much!'

Having lost time with mechanical trouble during morning practice, Frentzen's qualifying got off to a bad start when he accidentally got in the way of David Coulthard as the McLaren completed a quick lap and Heinz-Harald prepared to start his first quick run.

'It was my mistake - I didn't see him,' said Frentzen. 'The radio communication is very bad at that point and I didn't realise he was there until the last minute. On the next lap, I lost downforce and went off the road when running behind him. Then, at the end of my best lap, I came across Coulthard at the same place where I had blocked him before. He had already blocked me once and he did it again - which I thought was a bit unfair. I had to miss the corner completely and my time was disallowed. Then on my final run, I had problems with traffic, so it was an up and down day, really.'

Hakkinen was untouchable throughout qualifying, his team-mate Coulthard taking fifth place while Michael Schumacher continued to struggle with his Ferrari, setting fourth fastest time behind the Williams of Jenson Button.

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