F1 has been away for 6 grueling weeks, but it finally returns for the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps
circuit.
F1 fans have experienced heart ache and withdrawal symptoms
as the season was silenced, but now the sport is returning with a bang. 9
races left, squeezed into a 11 week period; the second half of 2012 is set to be a cracker.
Here is a preview of the Belgian Grand Prix, looking back at
iconic moments of recent history and looking on to the weekend.
Ask any driver, fan, team member or journalist and Spa pretty much tops the "best circuit on the calendar" question. With the rise of the new circuits in the Middle East and Asia (many being dubbed "Tilkedromes" for their lack of excitement and overtaking opportunities), Spa has kept the heart and soul of F1 alive. Along with Monza, coming up the week after Spa, the two have kept Formula 1's legacy and history alive as modern and bland tracks invade.
Summer silence descended over the F1 circus as the sport took its mandatory 4 week break. Within this 4 week period, teams had to shut down their factories for 2 of those weeks. This means no work must be done at the factories, on the cars, for that duration of time. Not only does it save teams money, it also gives employees the chance to relax and have time off.
This is extremely important for the unsung heroes of F1. Those who put together Jenson Button's brake ducts at the Mclaren Technology Centre, or those who create the front nose cone winglets for Sebastian Vettel's RB8 are often looked over, but everyone deserves a break. Many mechanics and team members rarely touch base at home, the constant travelling and moving from country to country means family get togethers are few and far between. So it’s a deserved few weeks off for the guys behind the glamorous F1 blind.
And what a circuit to come back to. Spa is renowned for its stunning scenery, challenging corners and historic legacy. Over the years, it has produced some iconic moments such as Hakkinen passing Schumacher going in to turn 7, zipping around back marker Ricardo Zonta at the same time. We also saw the famous 1998 start line crash, where 13 runners were taken out. After the restart, Damon Hill took his last Formula 1 win for Jordan, the team once owned by BBC pundit Eddie Jordan who have now transformed into Force India. That race also saw a clash between Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard, which resulted in the German angrily walking into the Mclaren garage to confront David. Closer to home, we saw Mark Webber pull off an impressive and breath taking manoeuvre on Fernando Alonso at Eau Rouge, one of F1's most famous corners.
Of course, those moments are just a few of the more recent history but Spa has been around for a long time. It started life as a 15km track around the public roads, in 1920. As the F1 championship began in 1950, the circuit had been shortened to a 14km layout which was one of the most dangerous circuits of that generation. A number of drivers perished at the ferocious circuit, including 2 in the space of 15 minutes during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix. The old circuit was deemed too dangerous for racing after more life claiming incidents, with the circuit being dropped in 1969 after teams boycotted the race due to the lack of safety. In 1971 the iconic track was taken off the calendar for not bringing its safety up the standards set. It returned in 1983 on a shortened and barrier filled layout of 6.9km. This layout kept the iconic La Source and Eau Rouge, but brought with it a new set of corners which would prove just as challenging, but a lot safer. Up there with the iconic turns are Pouhon, a mid-speed left which is tricky in the wet, Les Combes and Stavelot. In 2007 the circuit was given its latest update, with the pit straight getting "made up" and a new chicane added to end the lap.
In its current guise, the lap starts on the Pit Straight, at the top of the hill. The first corner is La Source, renowned for its first lap incidents. We saw this last year when Timo Glock swept into the Force India of Paul Di Resta, while the two then "Team Lotus" cars collected each other. Then it is down a short straight, into Eau Rouge and Raidillon. After those two high speed corners, the cars then top 300KM/H along the Kemmel straight before braking for Les Combes. After that tricky complex, the cars then turn right for Bruxelles and go through turn 11, on to Pouhon. We have seen some incredible overtakes at this mid speed, long left hand turn. One such example is when Jenson Button took former team mate Jacques Villeneuve around the outside, in the rain at the 2005 race. After that challenge, it is on swiftly to Campus and then Stavelot. Then we get to the high speed swoops of Blanchimont before finishing the lap at the chicane, the slowest part of the lap.
So there is a little history of Spa, but let’s look forward to this year’s race. After such an incredible season so far, with 7 drivers taking wins so far, there has been not a dull race in sight. With the ingredients of fired up drivers after time off, a tight title battle, unpredictable tyres and cars which are so closely matched, will they all add up to a successful recipe? I think so.
With the weather also coming into the mix, we could well see an unusual grid and even stranger results. Remember when Giancarlo Fisichella took Force India's first pole in the 2009 race? Yeah, I was thinking more along those lines. Because of the stretched out nature of the circuit, it can often rain in one sector and be bone dry in the other. We saw this in 2010, where drivers were caught out by rain at the final corner, resulting in Barrichello colliding heavily with Alonso. So will the weather be the main talking point over the weekend? Most probably, Friday is expected to be wet, while Saturday and Sunday both have an air of mystery over them. There will be plenty of cloud, so the odd rain shower is not out of the equation just yet.
For the win? It is very hard to say. Putting money on Alonso would be the safest bet, after his stunning form in Germany and Spain. Fernando has pushed to get the most out of the car, and in doing so has actually out performed his machinery. With Ferrari's large amount of resources and cash, expect plenty of aggressive upgrades. To see the real talent and form he is in, just compare his season to someone in equal machinery. Felipe Massa. Nuff said eh? The Mclaren drivers will also be strong, no surprise there. Button has shown strong speed before the break, despite not getting the right results. Hamilton's win in Hungary has definetly put him in a good mood, so after the summer break he will be determined to keep the form up. He also loves the circuit (as most drivers do) and took the victory in 2010. He knows how to win around Spa. It is safe to say, Mclaren will be bringing rafts of upgrades to take their title challenge forward.
Someone who also knows how to take the victory at Spa Francorchamps is Kimi Raikkonen. Can he take Lotus's first win, which has been a long time coming this season? Well, he could well be up there and within contention of the Champagne. The "Iceman" is a 4 time winner of the Belgian GP and is regarded as an expert around the iconic track. The E20 car he drives is also good, so expect the car to be quick there as well.
Where will Red Bull fit in? Surely they will be strong, but the high speed nature could hurt them. The Renault engine has been famously underpowered, although they have defeated the Monza track so do not discount them just yet.
So mixed conditions, one of the closest fields ever and 6 world champions at the front. What more could us F1 fans want? Add to that, a circuit which we have huge amounts of evidence for it producing exciting racing, and we must have a winner.
F1 is returning from the summer silence to a crowded calendar. With just days between races, it will be action packed, guaranteed to provide excitement and be continuously filled with drama.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
Ask any driver, fan, team member or journalist and Spa pretty much tops the "best circuit on the calendar" question. With the rise of the new circuits in the Middle East and Asia (many being dubbed "Tilkedromes" for their lack of excitement and overtaking opportunities), Spa has kept the heart and soul of F1 alive. Along with Monza, coming up the week after Spa, the two have kept Formula 1's legacy and history alive as modern and bland tracks invade.
Summer silence descended over the F1 circus as the sport took its mandatory 4 week break. Within this 4 week period, teams had to shut down their factories for 2 of those weeks. This means no work must be done at the factories, on the cars, for that duration of time. Not only does it save teams money, it also gives employees the chance to relax and have time off.
This is extremely important for the unsung heroes of F1. Those who put together Jenson Button's brake ducts at the Mclaren Technology Centre, or those who create the front nose cone winglets for Sebastian Vettel's RB8 are often looked over, but everyone deserves a break. Many mechanics and team members rarely touch base at home, the constant travelling and moving from country to country means family get togethers are few and far between. So it’s a deserved few weeks off for the guys behind the glamorous F1 blind.
And what a circuit to come back to. Spa is renowned for its stunning scenery, challenging corners and historic legacy. Over the years, it has produced some iconic moments such as Hakkinen passing Schumacher going in to turn 7, zipping around back marker Ricardo Zonta at the same time. We also saw the famous 1998 start line crash, where 13 runners were taken out. After the restart, Damon Hill took his last Formula 1 win for Jordan, the team once owned by BBC pundit Eddie Jordan who have now transformed into Force India. That race also saw a clash between Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard, which resulted in the German angrily walking into the Mclaren garage to confront David. Closer to home, we saw Mark Webber pull off an impressive and breath taking manoeuvre on Fernando Alonso at Eau Rouge, one of F1's most famous corners.
Of course, those moments are just a few of the more recent history but Spa has been around for a long time. It started life as a 15km track around the public roads, in 1920. As the F1 championship began in 1950, the circuit had been shortened to a 14km layout which was one of the most dangerous circuits of that generation. A number of drivers perished at the ferocious circuit, including 2 in the space of 15 minutes during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix. The old circuit was deemed too dangerous for racing after more life claiming incidents, with the circuit being dropped in 1969 after teams boycotted the race due to the lack of safety. In 1971 the iconic track was taken off the calendar for not bringing its safety up the standards set. It returned in 1983 on a shortened and barrier filled layout of 6.9km. This layout kept the iconic La Source and Eau Rouge, but brought with it a new set of corners which would prove just as challenging, but a lot safer. Up there with the iconic turns are Pouhon, a mid-speed left which is tricky in the wet, Les Combes and Stavelot. In 2007 the circuit was given its latest update, with the pit straight getting "made up" and a new chicane added to end the lap.
In its current guise, the lap starts on the Pit Straight, at the top of the hill. The first corner is La Source, renowned for its first lap incidents. We saw this last year when Timo Glock swept into the Force India of Paul Di Resta, while the two then "Team Lotus" cars collected each other. Then it is down a short straight, into Eau Rouge and Raidillon. After those two high speed corners, the cars then top 300KM/H along the Kemmel straight before braking for Les Combes. After that tricky complex, the cars then turn right for Bruxelles and go through turn 11, on to Pouhon. We have seen some incredible overtakes at this mid speed, long left hand turn. One such example is when Jenson Button took former team mate Jacques Villeneuve around the outside, in the rain at the 2005 race. After that challenge, it is on swiftly to Campus and then Stavelot. Then we get to the high speed swoops of Blanchimont before finishing the lap at the chicane, the slowest part of the lap.
So there is a little history of Spa, but let’s look forward to this year’s race. After such an incredible season so far, with 7 drivers taking wins so far, there has been not a dull race in sight. With the ingredients of fired up drivers after time off, a tight title battle, unpredictable tyres and cars which are so closely matched, will they all add up to a successful recipe? I think so.
With the weather also coming into the mix, we could well see an unusual grid and even stranger results. Remember when Giancarlo Fisichella took Force India's first pole in the 2009 race? Yeah, I was thinking more along those lines. Because of the stretched out nature of the circuit, it can often rain in one sector and be bone dry in the other. We saw this in 2010, where drivers were caught out by rain at the final corner, resulting in Barrichello colliding heavily with Alonso. So will the weather be the main talking point over the weekend? Most probably, Friday is expected to be wet, while Saturday and Sunday both have an air of mystery over them. There will be plenty of cloud, so the odd rain shower is not out of the equation just yet.
For the win? It is very hard to say. Putting money on Alonso would be the safest bet, after his stunning form in Germany and Spain. Fernando has pushed to get the most out of the car, and in doing so has actually out performed his machinery. With Ferrari's large amount of resources and cash, expect plenty of aggressive upgrades. To see the real talent and form he is in, just compare his season to someone in equal machinery. Felipe Massa. Nuff said eh? The Mclaren drivers will also be strong, no surprise there. Button has shown strong speed before the break, despite not getting the right results. Hamilton's win in Hungary has definetly put him in a good mood, so after the summer break he will be determined to keep the form up. He also loves the circuit (as most drivers do) and took the victory in 2010. He knows how to win around Spa. It is safe to say, Mclaren will be bringing rafts of upgrades to take their title challenge forward.
Someone who also knows how to take the victory at Spa Francorchamps is Kimi Raikkonen. Can he take Lotus's first win, which has been a long time coming this season? Well, he could well be up there and within contention of the Champagne. The "Iceman" is a 4 time winner of the Belgian GP and is regarded as an expert around the iconic track. The E20 car he drives is also good, so expect the car to be quick there as well.
Where will Red Bull fit in? Surely they will be strong, but the high speed nature could hurt them. The Renault engine has been famously underpowered, although they have defeated the Monza track so do not discount them just yet.
So mixed conditions, one of the closest fields ever and 6 world champions at the front. What more could us F1 fans want? Add to that, a circuit which we have huge amounts of evidence for it producing exciting racing, and we must have a winner.
F1 is returning from the summer silence to a crowded calendar. With just days between races, it will be action packed, guaranteed to provide excitement and be continuously filled with drama.
The drivers will arrive in Belgium, fresh, relaxed, excited
and sporting a slightly darker tan as the 2012 season continues. Excited?
Thought so.
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