“Spa-Francorchamps”—the uninitiated could be forgiven for thinking that this is some new-age European health fad. But to any a warm-blooded race fan, this is a circuit oozing with in history. From Mika Hakkinen driving flat out, while passing Michael Schumacher and back marker Ricardo Zonta, for the win in 2000. Or the 2008 fight between Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton, who, lap after lap exchanged overtaking manoeuvres, eventually leading up to Kimi’s retirement after hitting a wall and handing the win to Lewis. Or Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna’s record of winning four in a row. Or a rookie named Michael, on his first race in 1991 qualified 7th on board his Jordan-Ford.
Whatever memory one has of the fabled circuit, it will always be known for the Bus Stop, Eau Rouge, Raidillon, Blanchimont, Pouhon; corners that give Spa its character.
Formula One returns to Spa this weekend for the Shell Belgian Grand Prix, with the teams looking to continue their assault on the leader board. Scuderia Ferrari, coming off a lackluster first half of the season, are being rallied by Stefano Dominecali to never give up and keep believing that they will bounce back. McLaren on the other hand seems to be on damage limitation for the rest of the year; such a shame really when in the latter part of last year they had the fastest car on the grid. Mercedes AMG are praying to the heavens for lightning to strike twice and give both Lewis and Nico a podium finish. While Adrian Newey and company are set to provide Sebastian a car to finish the second half of the season on top of the championship standings.
The seven-kilometer long Spa circuit will test of the teams’ capabilities of finding the perfect car set-up. With the ever changing weather conditions of the Ardennes forest, plus the long straights that will have the engine running at full throttle 70% of the lap, add to that the hard braking for the tight corners, it’s bound to be a race of attrition.
Pirelli will be bringing in their hard and medium compounds for this race, mainly because of the high energy loads subjected to the tires (vertical compressions at Eau Rouge and the horizontal load at fast corners). Pirelli doesn’t want a repeat of the delamination incident at the British GP.
Smart money is on Sebastian winning his 5th race of the year, but don’t count out the Mercedes duo, they have the drivers and the engine to match Red Bull and might just snatch the win over Vettel. While a Ferrari podium would certainly lift up team spirits, I believe that a fourth place for Fernando would be the best result they can hope for.
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