F1 2023 - Round 13: Belgium

Jordan 199

So F1 heads to the iconic Spa Francorchamps for this weekends Grand Prix. It will be a sprint race and the last race before the summer break.

TV Times:

Friday: First Practice - 12.30. Qualifying - 16.00.

Saturday: Sprint Qualifying - 11.00. Sprint Race - 15.30

Sunday: Race - 14.00.

All sessions will be live on Sky Sports F1. Channel 4: Saturday - Qualifying Highlights: 19:45. Sunday: Race Highlights: 18:30.

AMKC

Another fake weekend so.

Max will win the sprint and the race anyway abd get both poles too so hardly worth watching it. No point in wasting your time watching a sure thing. Just watch the highlights instead. Sure C4 have the best commentators anyway.

artanevilla

Do you never watch films? The ones where the good guys always win? There is more to racing than who crosses the line first. It's to rain all week so hopefully we get as far as a race.

rameire

SPA Day.

recyclebin

Will need some freak timing of rain or a safety car to stop Max and Red Bulls winning streak.

Frank Bullitt

This could really be the track where RB show just how terrifyingly fast they are. This track has all the characteristics for them to just take the absolute piss.

klose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120895039#Comment_120895039

Max could have a pitlane start and still win handy here, checo probably also. It's a lock 1-2 IMO assuming they've a clean race.

Jordan 199

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120902969#Comment_120902969

Imagine if Max and Checo collided on the way down to Eau Rouge 😲😲😲

Frank Bullitt

Could be a wet weekend ahead by the looks of it.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Some people are predicting a very good weekend for McLaren. Apparently the track suits their car very well also.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120903064#Comment_120903064

Saturday likely, Sunday not so much.

Either way, we're not facing into 98 or 21 conditions

Hijpo

If there was rain heavy enough for full wets, would they err on the side of caution given the accident recently? Two deaths and vettle was furious when Norris went off in qualifying a few years ago.

Could be a very bad look if something happened.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120904278#Comment_120904278

The 98 race was shown on sky f1 last night. There's no way they'd be racing now in the rain they had then. The safety standards have changed massively, at one point a Stewart's engine blows, the driver pulls over and the race keeps going, and the car was left on the grass for (I assume) the remainder of the race. Scary now if they did that.

Elite tier Jordan livery back then too...

Jordan 199

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120904995#Comment_120904995

For sure:

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905047#Comment_120905047

Better than the 199 as per your username?

Jordan 199

I wasn't a fan of the black on the nose of the 198.

However, I have a 1:43 scale 198 model on Bridgestone tyres and Frentzen behind the wheel. I do like that.

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120903027#Comment_120903027

I’d rather not have anyone crashing.

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120904611#Comment_120904611

Spa is dangerous enough in the dry as we’ve seen in 2019 with the death in the support race. Then we had the farce of 2021 where it was token gesture which was a bit insulting.

flazio

I'd love to see the 98 race again with RTÉ commentary. We see the classic clip of Murray Walker going "Oh dear this is terrible, they'll have to stop the race" I have clear memory of Peter Collins pretty much losing his nut at the "absolute CARNAGE" down the straight. There was a documentary focusing on Mondello a few years back, and of course in talking about the successes in Irish motorsports Jordan came up and they showed a clip of the 98 GP and Damon crossing the line along with Peter's commentary above it, so it's safe to say that the footage exists. There's probably a lot of legal tape tied up in the rights but still, I can dream.

dulpit

Grid penalty for Verstappen, taking an extra gearbox.

https://twitter.com/wearetherace/status/1684812738814431232?t=xjD60nzgnq_eEyl2TuwG3Q&s=19

Andrew76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905473#Comment_120905473

I used to record quali and races to VHS back in the day, back when Schumi was dominating so not sure it goes back to 98 but must have a look. Would have been from ITV though not RTE.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120906351#Comment_120906351

Thanks but I too saw the Sky replay and it was unlocking a different memory I had of watching it on RTE, though sadly, while ITV took 5 or 6 small ad breaks during the race RTE took just the one slightly longer break and I think I remember it just happened to be when Schumacher clouted Coulthard. Look anyway, it's action on track that matters, not who's calling it.

McFly85

Not a huge fan of a sprint weekend but hoping the reduced practice time and potential weather can help mix it up.

I expect Max to speed off into the distance pretty early. Can Checo just have a decent quali for once though?

Hope the McLarens are up there, they’ve been great in the last couple of races.

Andrew76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120906435#Comment_120906435

Schumacher chasing Alonso at Imola and ITV decide to take an ad break with like 5 laps to go or so... 🙄😁

Andrew76

5 place grid penalty for Max for Sunday's race (for another gearbox change). I guess Spa is the best place to take it all things considered. I still expect him to win from 6th or whatever position he starts in.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/66334521

Hijpo

Is this not a pretty early stage to get a gear box penalty?

Is this to get another gear box in play on a track they do well at so they can't be forced into taking a penalty for a new gear box later on in the calander?

For example you can have 8 gear boxes in play if you want (after taking penalties) and cycle through them every weekend without further penalty.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907518#Comment_120907518

It is more strategic to do it here, they probably have such an advantage that they can take it here and enter it into the pool and still win.

Merc did something similar in 2021 with their engines

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Last year iirc near half the grid took a penalty here and it took ages for the starting grid to be announced. Surprising it's only Max so far tbh.

Captain_Crash

Was thinking the very same, this is a strategic track to take a penalty so I’d expect a couple more to come over the weekend

Frank Bullitt

Great thing about the wet is you can see the vortices around the floor and wing to see how the aero is working.

Frank Bullitt

Whenever James Vowles is on the pitwall talking to Sky, he is magnificent

artanevilla

I know on the F1 Playstation games I take the penalties on the tracks I'm bad on as I know I'll not score points anyway and have fresh gearboxes/engines/ERS for the tracks I can win on.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907578#Comment_120907578

Does the Sprint essentially give you a free day to take it?

artanevilla

Red flag, Sargent crash.

Frank Bullitt

This could spice up the weekend with the lack of running.

Itssoeasy

Turning on the coverage after seeing the tweet from F1 that this session won’t count to forming the grid if the session is cancelled later due to the weather.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907831#Comment_120907831

Making up the rules as they go again, the FIA...a great bunch of lads.

McFly85

So what happens if the weather doesn’t let up? Quali pushed to tomorrow and the sprint race quali binned?

Itssoeasy

https://twitter.com/skysportsf1/status/1684898293959004160?s=61&t=9PWgf6fdzwvZ33721C-4DA

Tweet that sky sports put out.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907717#Comment_120907717

I'm not sure now tbh!

McFly85

To championship order will set the grid if there’s no qualifying.

Spa is kind of a high risk track for sprint races - the weekends are so packed there’s no leeway for weather.

flazio

They should revert to the old Sprint format. Sprint qualy, Sprint race, Sprint finish order set the grid. Not ideal but better than Championship order.

Frank Bullitt

It is clearing and drying now for F3 (these lads are great to watch).

One driver reckons dry tires very soon.

KillerShamrock

anything would be better than championship order its a dull idea and uninspired and a get out of jail free card for the FIA and will lead to probably the worst race in a long time.

One word could fix that 'Reverse' it would only delay max a few laps but would be better than handing him an even easier win

Frank Bullitt

Spoke too soon, F2 looks like boat race.

Itssoeasy

Seem to look like clear skies from shots sky they’ve just shown.

dulpit

10 minute delay to start of quali

Andrew76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120908800#Comment_120908800

Might just make it home in time to catch the end of it. I think they should delay it another 30 mins or so, on safety grounds ofc. 😁

Frank Bullitt

Croft just referred to himself as a neutral, his comedy career looks bright

rameire

cars lined up at end of Pit Lane with 6 minutes to go .

Itssoeasy

Lewis can’t see his right hand mirror.