Lewis likes it wet

Lewis Hamilton is ready to retain his unofficial crown as Formula One's wet-weather king.

The McLaren star has conquered the wet on the last three occasions an F1 race has been run under such conditions.

The 23-year-old won last year's Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji where a monsoon deluged the track, prior to victories this year in the damp at Monaco and heavy rain at Silverstone.

Unsurprisingly, given the capricious nature of the weather in the part of Belgium where this weekend's Grand Prix will be contested, there is every prospect of rain for Sunday's race.

Friday's two practice sessions were conducted under leaden skies, with the second 90-minute run hit by a light shower which arguably accounted for Kimi Raikkonen's spin into a barrier.

Then, just five minutes after the session had concluded, the heavens opened as GP2 qualifying began, making driving treacherous.

Hamilton was forced to settle for the third fastest time at the end of the two practice sessions on a track he claims is 'the best in the world'.

Title rivals Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, currently six and 13 points adrift respectively in the title race, were quicker than the Brit early on.

But it was two-time world champion Fernando Alonso that dominated practice across the pair of sessions.

He was quickest ahead of Raikkonen and Hamilton, while Australian Mark Webber looks back on track after he posted the sixth-fastest of the combined times.

The timesheets weren't the focus, however. It was the clouds hovering that most drivers had their eyes on.

Anticipating potential mayhem, Hamilton said: "It would be nice if it is dry."

"This track is a great challenge in the dry, but in the wet it will be so tricky for everyone, as the GP2 guys have today found out."

"Driving in the wet compared to the dry, it's like night and day. There's a huge difference."

"When it's dry you can push, use the curves and every bit of the grass, but in the wet you have no grip."

"If you touch a white line or a kerb then you are going to crash."

"It's very tricky just to know where the puddles are, you can have aqua-planing."

"The second you step out of the braking zone and you are a fraction late, then you will go straight."

"Today it was raining in some parts more than others and that made it a little bit tricky."

"If it is wet, I'll look forward to it. We were strong in Monaco and Silverstone, so I don't mind."