Four hours before the start of today's Belgian Grand Prix, the Spa Francorchamps circuit was shrouded in thick fog, just to make things a little more interesting, it was raining.

The fog eventually lifted, but the rain continued. A 'Mini' race was stopped following a number of heavy crashes, which resulted in repairs having to be made to the Armco barriers.

Consequently, the GP2 race was delayed, but when it finally took place it was red-flagged after just ten laps, such were the conditions, and the number of accidents.

With fifty minutes remaining before the Grand Prix is due to get underway, it has stopped raining. However, there is a mist hanging around the tops of the trees and the clouds are low and grey. It appears as though we are most definitely going to have rain this afternoon.

Putting the weather aside for now, the paddock is positively humming following yesterday afternoon's string of announcements.

Red Bull has bought Minardi, and will run the team as a 'Junior' outfit in 2006, which should help the Austrian-owned drinks company place some of its growing army of drivers. Furthermore, Red Bull will continue with Michelin tyres, though WilliamsF1 and Toyota will switch to Bridgestone. That said, only WilliamsF1 has definitely done a deal with the Japanese tyre manufacturer.

Michelin has warned that should the FIA continue with its plans for a control tyre, it will withdraw from the sport, citing the end of the 2006 season as a possibility. The FIA has responded in its own unique style, accusing Edouard Michelin of having an "almost comical lack of knowledge of modern Formula One", for not knowing that it was the teams, including those that Michelin supplies, that proposed the idea of a control tyre.

Never mind what happens on track, as ever, the political machinations within the paddock continue to thrill.

In the modern era, it is rare for the teams to be caught out by the weather, therefore they will be prepared for most eventualities today. It's passed into F1 folklore that David Richards has sent up his personal helicopter in the past, in an effort to discover what the weather is doing just a few miles away, and how advance knowledge might benefit his team. Furthermore most of the teams are seriously involved with meteorological agencies, fully aware that no matter how good the car, inclement weather will always change the course of a race.

All the experts are saying that it will rain this afternoon, the question is, when?

It would be foolish to make any predictions for this afternoon's event as everything is up in the air, literally, however, what we do know is that Fernando Alonso needs just four points more than Kimi Raikkonen this afternoon to secure the 2005 title.

Although the Drivers' Championship might be a forgone conclusion - not that Kimi agrees - the Constructors' Championship is still up for grabs. Therefore McLaren will be working hard to make full use of its success in qualifying, with Juan Pablo no doubt under (secret) orders to help Kimi's cause.

The sky is white, like a miserable November day in England… you can smell the rain.