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Formula 1: Round 12 - Belgian Grand Prix

  • 25-08-2011 9:53am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,444 ✭✭✭


    With four weeks having passed since Jenson Button won a thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix in mixed weather conditions Formula 1 reconvenes at the fabled Spa-Francorchamps circuit where once again the weather will play a key role in this weekend’s race.

    With just eight races to go the next two races, at Spa andMonza, are key to finding out whether anyone can challenge the dominance of reigning world champion, Sebastian Vettel. The German currently holds an 85 point championship lead over his Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, but theMilton Keynesbased squad will face their biggest challenge of the season in the next two races.

    Spa and Monza require a fast top speed, the one limiting factor of Red Bull’s performance in recent years. The team has developed their current car to maximize its potential over the course of the season and with only two races where top speed is critical their design philosophy has allowed them to take pole position at every race thus far in 2011 and lead both championships.

    If Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button are to mount a serious title challenge they know that their title fight will have to be marked by winning the battles inBelgiumandItaly.

    What the paddock has been talking about this weekend


    The main news stories ahead of this weekend have concentrated on the drivers market. At Renault the team has finally run out of patience with Nick Heidfeld after a disappointing season that has seen the Enstone squad struggle to develop their car after opening the season with a brace of podiums. Brazilian Bruno Senna will replace Heidfeld for this weekend and while no decision has been announced for the rest of 2011 there is little doubt that Heidfeld will spend the rest of the year on the sidelines.

    Senna raced last year for HRT and replaced Heidfeld during FP1 at the Hungaroring but the former GP2 racer’s potential is still an unknown quantity. He was favoured by some within the team to replace Robert Kubica for the year before Heidfeld got the nod due to his ability to ensue a “safe pair of hands.”

    Senna will be under immense pressure this weekend with another Renault reserve/test driver, Romain Grosjean, set to wrap up the GP2 title. Grosjean raced for the squad at the end of 2009 in place of Nelson Piquet Jr and the Frenchman is clearly keen on making a return to the pinnacle of the sport for next year. As a result it would be of little surprise if the game of musical chairs continues in Enstone.

    The other driver market related story doing the rounds this weekend is that Kimi Raikkonen is interested in making a return to racing with Formula 1 his preferred landing spot. The former world champion has become a solid if unspectacular rally driver and now wants a return to wheel to wheel action. With the top teams set to continue with their driver lineups next year it is likely that Raikonnen would only have midfield opportunities.

    The Spa-Francorchamps Circuit
    belgium.png

    Spa is one of the greatest challenges of the season and a race that every driver, team and fan looks forward to. This is one of the few circuits that truly allows the driver to make a difference to the laptime. In a sport where the machinery is the prime factor in competitivness this is one of the few windows that gives an opportunity for drivers to showcase their national skills.

    Ask any driver what his favourite circuit on the calendar is and invariably Spa, Suzuka and Silverstone are mentioned. All three are fast, flowing circuits where drivers can make the leap from a good car to a great performance.

    This weekend the majority of drivers share the viewpoint of Adrian Sutil:

    "I always say that Spa is my favourite circuit of the year,” said the veteran German. “I just love the place. There's nowhere else like it and the range of corners feel so impressive in a Formula 1 car. I think all the drivers have a big smile on their face when they come back to Spa.”

    The circuit has not changed much in the last thirty years, effectively only reprofiling the Bus Stop Chicane, but the challenge of the lap has changed immensely. If you asked the majority of drivers ten years what was their favourite corner of the circuit, and indeed the season, the expected response was “Eau Rouge.” The fabled corner, previously an almost flat out left-right-left that say cars plunge into the foot of a hill and then climb towards the sky in a blur of hand movements has become sedate in recent years.

    Cars have progressed and now there is little challenge for drivers through this once fearsome corner. It has sadly become just another corner to drivers. Nowadays with the cars changing the main challenge for drivers is Pouhan. The double left hander in the mid section of the lap.

    For Vettel this corner is now the ultimate challenge of the lap:

    “My favourite part of the track is the double-left Pouhon,” said the 24 year old.”You put the car into sixth, take your foot off the accelerator for a moment and then it's up to 280kph in the corner. The last chicane is difficult, as the car pulls you all over the place; you need all your concentration to keep it on the track.”

    His rivals share this viewpoint with Hamilton saying:

    "Corners like Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont are fantastic, just because they're so fast,” commented the McLaren star. “Pouhon, in particular, is incredible, because you're really at the limit of the grip level, and you're gently playing with the throttle and trying not to scrub off too much speed with the steering. Getting it right is an amazing feeling.”

    It’s clear that the traditional challenges of Spa, Eau Rouge and Blanchimont, still factor in a drivers love of the circuit but corners such as Pouhan has now become the one that sets the drivers heart racing.

    The other challenging corner is Stavelot. The super-fast right hander leads drivers onto the final long straight of the lap. It was here in 1996 that Jos Verstapen had a huge accident that left his Arrows upside down. With cars increasing downforce and grip corners such as Pouhon and Stavelot have seen their challenge increase enormously and while the fabled corners of yore no longer provide the same challenge a circuit like Spa will always increase the heart race of any racer.

    Overtaking has traditionally occurred on the run from Eau Rouge to Les Combe and this year the DRS activation zone will be in this area. Throughout the rest of the lap overtaking is possible at numerous sections with the entry to the final corner a possible overtaking spot but one where a locked brake can lead to disastrous consequences, as shown by Vettel last year as he attacked Button early in the race.

    Compromise is key for finding the right setup


    Spa, like most circuits, requires a balance. The first and final sectors of the lap require a low downforce configuration with more grip and downforce required in the middle sector.

    The run from La Source to Les Combe sees cars driving full throttle for over 23 seconds. Any unnecessary drag is heavily punished in this sector and would leave a driver certain to lose a position to any car within the DRS activation area.

    As a result teams trim their cars downforce to the smallest wing possible. The use of unrestricted DRS in qualifying however could complicate the picture as to who will be competitive in race trim. Cars with more inherit downforce, such as the Red Bull, will have the DRS open and still able to set fast sector times in qualifying but in race trim the Red Bull looks almost certain to be heavily punished in sectors one and three by the much faster McLaren and Ferrari cars.

    Sector two is all about grip and it is here that Red Bull were stunning in 2010. The foundation of Mark Webber’s pole position was in the middle of the lap where the Australian was stunning and visibly quicker than his rivals. The mid sector however requires more than just sheer grip, drivers need to have stability in the fast corners, Pouhon, where they need to thread the eye of needle for a fast time while also being able to have enough front end grip not to understeer through Rivage.

    The downhill right hander is tackled in second gear at 80 mph but is one of the most difficult corners of the lap. The car will always push wide through the apex and bring drivers away from the optimum line into the entry of turn nine, which leads into Pouhon. Drivers therefore have to compromise their line into the corner in a bid to have a smoother passage through to the exit of the corner.

    Williams outgoing technical director, Sam Michael, was keen to talk on the challenges of finding the right balance at the Belgian Grand Prix venue:

    "Spa is one of the greatest circuits in the Formula One Championship,” said the Australian. “Large variations in terrain provide a challenge to the engineers to cover all of the different corner types, from slow speed curb riding to the flat out Eau Rouge. Race day can be really interesting when the weather changes as it can rain on one side of the circuit and be dry on the other!"

    Formula 1 revolves on Pirelli tyres in 2011


    Pirelli will bring their soft and medium compounds to Spa. The tyres have not had to play a key role in recent races, with weather interrupting proceedings but Pirelli motor sport boss, Paul Hembery, is eager to get to Belgium and showcase the Italian company’s rubber:

    "Spa-Francorchamps is one of those legendary names in motorsport, which has become a real icon of the Formula One season,” said Hembery. “It is a track that tests ultimate commitment, so once again we have to supply tyres that are capable of not only absorbing the colossal forces that they are subjected to on a regular basis, but also of delivering maximum performance in complete safety.

    "In many ways Spa is one of the most unpredictable tracks of the season, and since we have never tested here, we have very little data to go on. From what we have seen in the past though, in Valencia and at the Nurburgring especially, we are confident that this combination of the medium and the soft tyre strikes the correct balance between performance and durability, equipping the drivers to display every aspect of their talents. It's a race that rewards brave overtaking manoeuvres, which is exactly in keeping with our own tyre philosophy as well. The weather in Belgium as always will be a question mark, but with so many wet races behind us already this year, this is one area where we are definitely gaining in experience more rapidly than we anticipated!"
    Three stops expected this weekend

    The weather always plays a key role in deciding strategy at Spa and this year is sure to be no different but in dry trim it is likely that drivers will use a three stop strategy. With overtaking relatively easy at Spa it is likely that teams will focus on consistently having the fastest available car to them. Laptime and speed are more important than anything else this weekend.

    Using a two stop strategy will surely leave teams vulnerable to attack from faster cars and while venues likeBarcelonaallow drivers to defend their position it is highly unlikely that drivers would be able to keep a faster car at bay for more than a handful of laps. As a result it is likely that teams will be forced into the three stop strategy just so that they do not lose track position.

    There will still be some teams eager to play a wildcard and stay out on a two stop strategy, Sauber a prime favourite, but it could be a risky strategy for any team.

    James Key, Technical Director for Sauber, knows that this is a key race for the Swiss squad. Force India have been strong in recent races and with Toro Rosso regularly challenging for points it is imperative that Sauber score points this weekend:

    "As always in Spa, we have to monitor the weather closely over the weekend,” when asked about this weekend’s strategy. “The Pirelli tyres are the soft and the medium compounds. We know from Silverstone that the soft tyre works well with the high speed corners, but we have some work to do with the medium compound."
    Weather for this weekend

    Spa has its own micro climate with rain seemingly coming out of nowhere to force the teams into the pits for wet weather tyres. Forecasts for this weekend are best taken with more than a pinch of salt but it the local forecasters are expecting heavy rain on Friday with Saturday likely to see a dry qualifying session before a cloudy raceday with rain threatening throughout the 44 lap race.


«1345

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,215 ✭✭✭✭Frank Bullitt


    This is McLarens to loose.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,697 ✭✭✭Charlie-Bravo


    3 week holiday now over - the best race of the year is this weekend - Bruno to bend the car at Eau Rouge. Can't wait, bring on Practice 1.

    -. . ...- . .-. / --. --- -. -. .- / --. .. ...- . / -.-- --- ..- / ..- .--.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    I love Spa, hope it's a great race.

    20 years in F1 for Schumacher, hope he has a good weekend. Just reading the press conference there from yesterday, good read.

    Senna in the Renault should be interesting, hope he can get up to speed and make the weekend count.

    Engine battle up the hill and tyres over the long lap with possible cool temperatures might be factors, hope McLaren have strong result


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    Rain pissing down for few minutes there


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,697 ✭✭✭Charlie-Bravo


    and Bruno sticks the back of the car into the tyre wall...ah alas, wrong corner. Di Resta follows him in, now a red flag.

    -. . ...- . .-. / --. --- -. -. .- / --. .. ...- . / -.-- --- ..- / ..- .--.



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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Looked over the times, them Mercedes do seem to have quite a bit of time on them.

    Couldn't watch it while in work, did they get on the track in better conditions?

    Edit:
    Just saw the following on BBCs website:
    The German and team-mate Nico Rosberg were the only two drivers to record a time before a heavy rain shower.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    Alonso leading from Rosberg, DiResta in third and Vettel fourth at the moment


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Have to agree with Davidson, I miss the old bus-stop chicane greatly with cars popping out as both came straight towards the camera.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    Very very wet at the moment. Hope drys up for qualifying. Button says wetter than red flagged Canada

    Might be few surprises with so little dry running


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Canada set a feckin dangerous precedence with the over-fussiness about rain. I've a feeling with Belgium being a long track they'll always err even further on the side of caution there.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,848 ✭✭✭bleg


    Any live qualifying streams?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Merc need to get their fcukin act together. As I've said about other silly things like this happening it should be a massive fine for fcuk-ups like that.

    For him to get around that far before the tyre coming off is weird though.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    Not a good start for Michael 20 years on. Will be fun watching him getting through field


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Button and Vettel with their laps wrecked by taffic it seems.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    If anyone hasn't minded their tyres there'll be a funny couple out I'd say.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,354 ✭✭✭smellslikeshoes


    Just turned on, what's happened with Michael?

    Nvm, brundle just said.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Bottom 6 should be sticking on options.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Just turned on, what's happened with Michael?

    Wheel came off.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    Super from lotus and heiki


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Kovalainen has to be the most puzzling driver ever.
    Poor from Force India/di Resta.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,056 ✭✭✭Sparks43


    Oh dear oh dear

    One less driver on the grid for the race


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Total BS. Hamilton break-checked him and it was a 50/50 in terms of who steered in which direction. Hamilton showing his fcuking idiocy again.

    I'm trying to figure out who gives less of a **** about Button, McLaren or the BBC. :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    Wow, Maldonados an idiot. Doubt he'll be in the car tomorrow


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 852 ✭✭✭blackdog2


    Maldonado?!!!

    I hate Hamilton, but there is absolutely no need for that! Hope Maldonado never sits in an F1 car again!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,051 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    That was hectic! Hamilton barges his way to the top of Q2 past Maldonado, then Maldonado takes a swipe at Hamilton after the end of the session. Mad rush on times in the last minute pushes Button down to 13th.

    Ye Hypocrites, are these your pranks
    To murder men and gie God thanks?
    Desist for shame, proceed no further
    God won't accept your thanks for murder.

    ―Robert Burns



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,354 ✭✭✭smellslikeshoes


    Great to see Senna doing well, always felt he was too good to not get a racing spot this year.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    No-one talking about the brake-check then the dummy by Hamilton and the fact that the both steered towards each other for the final impact?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 852 ✭✭✭blackdog2


    amacachi wrote: »
    No-one talking about the brake-check then the dummy by Hamilton and the fact that the both steered towards each other for the final impact?

    Track curves to the right where they touched. No excuse from Maldonado there buddy, You just can't steer towards him.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    LIGHTNING wrote: »
    Good man Pastor, I wouldn't let him bully me around either.

    Are you reading it like me by chance? Looked to me like he brake-checked him then tried to scare him with one weave, didn't faze Maldonado and tried again and Maldonado called his silly little bluff.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 166 ✭✭Tockman


    ya it looked like lewis drove towards maldo aswell. Going to interesting outcome. Aslo button must be mad. They told him to come into pits!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    blackdog2 wrote: »
    Track curves to the right where they touched. No excuse from Maldonado there buddy, You just can't steer towards him.

    Hamilton turns in from the edge of track more than the curve dictates. Watch it again, when Maldonado gets alongside Hamilton does a dummy-weave towards him, Maldonado doesn't back down and they both did a weave towards each other. If anyone's more to blame it's Hamilton.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Tockman wrote: »
    ya it looked like lewis drove towards maldo aswell. Going to interesting outcome. Aslo button must be mad. They told him to come into pits!

    After they told him to get out of Button's way. Like I said, one wonders if the BBC and McLaren were arguing about who gave the smallest **** about him. :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    amacachi wrote: »
    No-one talking about the brake-check then the dummy by Hamilton and the fact that the both steered towards each other for the final impact?

    Looked like he had backed off. Would have to see telemetry if brakes applied. Hamiltons slight move looked like he didn't know Maldonado there but maybe not. He didn't run into him though like Maldonado did

    Button might have case against team, focusing more on Hamilton and pulling him in out of Hamiltons way.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    Great from Senna considering lack of time in car this year

    Vettel well ahead in the end but good to have a McLaren on front row


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Looked like he had backed off. Would have to see telemetry if brakes applied. Hamiltons slight move looked like he didn't know Maldonado there but maybe not. He didn't run into him though like Maldonado did

    May not have stood on the brakes but he did seem to get going and then completely lift off at the least. It's a 50/50 at worst.

    Even if they're going to lay it all on Maldonado they should give him a time penalty tomorrow that will have no effect on his finishing position, seems to be how incidents between those two are generally handled.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,051 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    Those Slick tyres certainly do the job - 12-13 seconds improvement per lap is huge. Rosberg in 5th, Schumacher could have been up there had he kept all his wheels. This 3-phase qualifying certainly makes for good TV ...

    Ye Hypocrites, are these your pranks
    To murder men and gie God thanks?
    Desist for shame, proceed no further
    God won't accept your thanks for murder.

    ―Robert Burns



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    I'd love to see Hamilton in Button's position now. Button really earning his money in the interview.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭muckwarrior


    Hamilton/Maldonado looked pretty much 50/50 to me.

    Really impressed by Senna.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,056 ✭✭✭Sparks43


    To me Hamilton was moving to the right not seeing Pastor
    Then he turned sharply left and pastor ran straight through him

    Minimum back of the grid for Pastor imho and a possible 2/3 race ban


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭11811


    Perhaps I'm biased as I can't stand Hamilton, but that looked 50/50 to me as well. Of course the BBC have to give it the pro Hamilton spin making Maldonado the villain.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,056 ✭✭✭Sparks43


    McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton on the Maldonado incident: "I'll have to look at it. The Williams was just sitting there, it was very slow. I had to try and get past, which I did. I saw Maldonado approaching quite quickly - he happened to swipe across me. My front wing was quite damaged. I'll sit here and wait for the stewards to call me up rather than going back to McLaren. Once the flag was out and the red light was on there is no need to be racing. There should never be an incident but unfortunately there was."


    .


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Sparks43 wrote: »
    To me Hamilton was moving to the right not seeing Pastor
    Then he turned sharply left and pastor ran straight through him

    Minimum back of the grid for Pastor imho and a possible 2/3 race ban

    Hamilton turned right into him as well.

    IF all the blame is put on Maldonado I don't see how a slow-speed crash should be treated more harshly than what Hamilton did to him in Monaco.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,285 ✭✭✭Frankie Lee


    Both were in the wrong, Maldonado probably a small bit more so but if both drivers aren't punished it will be a disgrace.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,565 ✭✭✭losthorizon


    Maldonado has quite a history behind him in GP 2 for acting the buffon. If hes not careful he will kill some one. Hes already broken a marshals back by not slowing down at an accident at Monaco despite all the yellow flags at a GP 2 race.

    I take it back - watched it again. What was Hamilton doing?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Has he done anything else wrong this seasn? Anyway, I would've thought a crash at racing speed with inter-locking wheels would be more dangerous than what happened today but it was just a 20 second penalty.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,215 ✭✭✭✭Frank Bullitt


    There is a usual trend showing in this incident though.

    Whenever Hamilton thinks he might get in trouble from the stewards, he is right onto his radio to the team pleading his case, and he did that today.

    To me its 50/50, both moved towards each other, and if you look at a replay, its Lewis who makes the move before they hit, both should be punished.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,421 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    I think Hamilton hitting Mandonaldo in monaco under racing conditions and on a hot lap is totally different to what Maldonado did. One is racing trying to get a position or time, the other is needless, unsporting, driving your car into another to damage it in a premeditated fashion.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    I think Hamilton hitting Mandonaldo in monaco under racing conditions and on a hot lap is totally different to what Maldonado did. One is racing trying to get a position or time, the other is needless, unsporting, driving your car into another to damage it in a premeditated fashion.

    Good thing that it was at least 50/50 then isn't it? :pac:

    As far as I'm concerned what Hamilton did in Monaco was as bad as something intentional, or else it was ridiculously reckless.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,855 ✭✭✭Grim.


    David Croft
    5 place penalty for Pastor, Lewis gets a reprimand. The decision has been made folks

    how many reprimands has lewis got for his driving this season?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,286 ✭✭✭WesternNight


    According to Lee McKenzie, via Twitter:
    Understand it is a 5 place grid pen for Maldonado and a reprimand for Hamilton

    edit - heh, someone got there first.


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