The hopes of the orange sea of Dutch fans - and a world champion from Stevenage - will rest today (Sunday) on the teenage shoulders of Max Verstappen, the youngest driver in Formula One's history to start on the front row.
There is not a speck of orange on Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, but starting from last, with his team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg on pole, the Englishman will be willing Verstappen on when the five red lights go out.
So too will the thousands who have flocked across the border to see Verstappen in the Belgian Grand Prix, swelling the banks of this famous circuit to their former glory.
Verstappen almost snatched an implausible pole from Rosberg in qualifying yesterday, but the German just about did enough in what has to go down as one of the most hollow victories of his career.
Hamilton completed one lap before hanging up his gloves for the day, qualifying rendered a pointless exercise by his 55-place grid penalty. He needs all the help he can get from the 18-year-old if he is to hold on to his 19-point championship lead, fearing it will be a struggle even to get into the top 10. "It feels unlikely to get into a podium position, but it's not impossible," he said.
Verstappen races under the Dutch flag but was born in Belgium to a Belgian mother, and they love him here as one of their own. Just 0.1sec behind Rosberg, Verstappen was pleased with his work in the sweltering sun. "I think Nico could have done a better lap," he said. "To be so close to Mercedes, we can be very pleased with that."
Rosberg should be nervous with the fearless teenager alongside him. Verstappen embarrassed Rosberg at Silverstone with a stunning overtake in the wet before the pair clashed again at the last race, in Germany. Rosberg earned a penalty for forcing the Red Bull driver off the track, and Verstappen was happy to rub it in afterwards.
Fireworks are not unlikely on this blistering hot weekend, and the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel (third and fourth) will be hoping to get involved. Anyone watching needs two televisions: one focused firmly on Rosberg and Verstappen at the front, the other charting Hamilton's progress from last on the grid.
Hamilton trundled round, completing an obligatory lap to meet the 107 per cent rule, which states you must set a time within 107 per cent of the fastest in the session. He was barely trying, and described his weekend so far as being like "a vacation". From setting the 21st quickest time he will take a 55-place grid penalty - and start 22nd. Work that one out.
Hamilton feared soaring temperatures will make this the worst place to take grid penalties for exceeding his allotted number of engines for the year.
"We are not easily the quickest here, and with the temperatures it is probably the worst time to take the penalties," the three-time champion said. "We are all going to have massive degradation, it is going to be two or three stops, I don't know who is going to be able to look after their cars or not."
He will be joined on the last row by Fernando Alonso. The two have five world titles and a combined grid penalty of 90 places between them.
Alonso's team-mate had a jollier afternoon. Jenson Button, fighting for his future in the sport, qualified ninth with what he described as one of the best laps of his career. It came as a riposte to comments from Toto Wolff, the Mercedes boss, who said McLaren would be "crazy" if they did not drop Button in favour of Stoffel Vandoorne.
"I spoke in qualifying," Button hit back.
Five places further back will be his compatriot Jolyon Palmer, the best qualifying position of his rookie year.