Due to the nature of the current Formula 1 calendar, fans, teams and drivers were endured with another painfully long break as the summer shut down commenced.
But what a circuit for the F1 circus to visit when it returns, Spa-Francorchamps. A formidable challenge that is world renowned for its history, drama and excitement.
This is one of my favourite tracks because, well, its a classic. It may be a shadow of its former self - the terrifying 8.761 mile circuit that was raced on until 1978 - but some of its history still remains with corners like Eau-Rouge and Blanchimont.
The 2013 season has so far proved to be dramatic with plenty of talking points both off and on track. The leading four remain at the front but the form card yo yos from race to race, depending on the circuit layout and conditions.
Red Bull Racing and Lotus will continue to race at the front and Mercedes will benefit from typically cooler conditions. Ferrari will be hoping that they can find the cause of their drop in pace before they head off to Belgium, so they can claw back the title fight.
Last years race was arguably the most dramatic of the season, with a huge first corner crash dominating the round. Jenson Button went on to take a commanding race win but it was somewhat overshadowed by the elimination of of Alonso, Hamilton and several others in a first lap accident triggered by Romain Grosjean..
This was the turning point of the season for the Frenchman, who was given a one-race ban for causing the multi-car pile-up. Sitting out of the Italian Grand Prix just a few weeks later hit hard that he needed to change his style.
Button started from pole position - surprisingly his first for McLaren - and led from the off. He drove beautifully to maintain the gap to those behind and cross the line clear of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel. The German benefited from the first lap tangle, which also eliminated Perez's Sauber and damaged several other cars, to move up the order after qualifying in 10th.
Kimi Raikkonen finished the race in third with Hulkenberg impressing for Force India in fourth and Felipe Massa rounding out the top five. Both Toro Rosso's scored points in eighth and ninth, behind Webber and Schumacher, and Di Resta completed the top 10.
There were four retirements from the first lap accident and several other cars were damaged in the chaos. Maldonado failed to impress after jumping the start and was then tapped by Perez's out of control Sauber. On the restart he collided with Glock's Marussia and retired shortly after with collision damage.
Belgium has hosted its fair share of theatrical rounds with the starring debut of Michael Schumacher in 1991, collision chaos of 1998 - which resulted in the loveable Jordan teams first win, Hakkinen verses Schumacher in 2000, Hamilton and Raikkonen's epic 2008 battle and Fisichella's shock 2009 podium to name just a few more recent ones.
Of course, Spa is drenched in history with so many more stunning memories and highlights to name - most I have never even seen before. Every F1 fan has a particular stand-out memory of the race and mine was back in 2004, watching Kimi Raikkonen race to only his second ever race win and some highly dramatic racing which really drew me in and kept me glued to the TV screen.
Deep in the Ardennes Forest, the race is also a hugely popular event for fans to attend. Camping is popular over the race weekend and the race draws big crowds from fans in the UK, Germany and France alongside a number of Finns attending. It was also a popular race for Polish fans when Kubica was driving in the sport.
Another thing that Spa is often drenched in - aside from history - is rain. Weather is always unpredictable prior to a race weekend with wet conditions likely to appear on at least one of the three days of on-track action.
Now we have discussed the race and location, why not take a look at the track? The 3.452 mile circuit kick starts with a short run to
turn one, the famous La Source turn. It is a tight right-hand hairpin that is provides a strong place to overtake, but usually creates incident on the first lap. The pit exit
follows the inside of the hairpin and re-joins on the right at the exit.
Des Fagnes, a third gear right-left chicane, comes next
before the first of the two right-handers that make up the Stavelot complex and
the end of the second sector. The first apex is hit in fifth gear with the second
being flat out as the speed builds on to the fast final sector.
Location: Francorchamps, Belgium
Track Length: 4.352 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 19
Laps: 44
Gear changes per lap: 49
Full throttle: 80%
First race: 1950
Lap record: 1m45.108 - Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2004
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2012 race winner: Jenson Button, McLaren
2012 pole position: Jenson Button, McLaren - 1m47.573
2012 fastest lap: Bruno Senna, Williams - 1m52.822
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC (HD)
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
This is one of my favourite tracks because, well, its a classic. It may be a shadow of its former self - the terrifying 8.761 mile circuit that was raced on until 1978 - but some of its history still remains with corners like Eau-Rouge and Blanchimont.
The 2013 season has so far proved to be dramatic with plenty of talking points both off and on track. The leading four remain at the front but the form card yo yos from race to race, depending on the circuit layout and conditions.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
Last years race was arguably the most dramatic of the season, with a huge first corner crash dominating the round. Jenson Button went on to take a commanding race win but it was somewhat overshadowed by the elimination of of Alonso, Hamilton and several others in a first lap accident triggered by Romain Grosjean..
This was the turning point of the season for the Frenchman, who was given a one-race ban for causing the multi-car pile-up. Sitting out of the Italian Grand Prix just a few weeks later hit hard that he needed to change his style.
Button started from pole position - surprisingly his first for McLaren - and led from the off. He drove beautifully to maintain the gap to those behind and cross the line clear of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel. The German benefited from the first lap tangle, which also eliminated Perez's Sauber and damaged several other cars, to move up the order after qualifying in 10th.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
There were four retirements from the first lap accident and several other cars were damaged in the chaos. Maldonado failed to impress after jumping the start and was then tapped by Perez's out of control Sauber. On the restart he collided with Glock's Marussia and retired shortly after with collision damage.
Belgium has hosted its fair share of theatrical rounds with the starring debut of Michael Schumacher in 1991, collision chaos of 1998 - which resulted in the loveable Jordan teams first win, Hakkinen verses Schumacher in 2000, Hamilton and Raikkonen's epic 2008 battle and Fisichella's shock 2009 podium to name just a few more recent ones.
Of course, Spa is drenched in history with so many more stunning memories and highlights to name - most I have never even seen before. Every F1 fan has a particular stand-out memory of the race and mine was back in 2004, watching Kimi Raikkonen race to only his second ever race win and some highly dramatic racing which really drew me in and kept me glued to the TV screen.
Deep in the Ardennes Forest, the race is also a hugely popular event for fans to attend. Camping is popular over the race weekend and the race draws big crowds from fans in the UK, Germany and France alongside a number of Finns attending. It was also a popular race for Polish fans when Kubica was driving in the sport.
Another thing that Spa is often drenched in - aside from history - is rain. Weather is always unpredictable prior to a race weekend with wet conditions likely to appear on at least one of the three days of on-track action.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
Turn two is a short right-hand kink before the formidable
Eau Rouge and Raidillon. This high speed chicane comes after a long run
downhill, before the cars head up a steep climb through the third and fourth
turn. Eau Rouge is a sixth gear left-right chicane that has run-off on either side with Raidillon being a blind
left-hand turn as the speed continues to build over the crest.
The tricky complex is very easy to
get wrong and if that happens, big crashes occur. Jacques Villeneuve, Gerhard Berger and Giancarlo Fisichella know all too well what that feels like. Next up is the long Kemmel Straight which signals the end of sector one. This is
where the DRS zone will be, which helps make the turn that follows an ideal overtaking spot.
This is Les Combes, a right-left chicane that is taken in
third gear. On the first lap, it can get quite bunched up here and this can
cause contact - we saw this back in 2009.
The ninth turn is a medium speed right called Malmedy which then
leads on to a short downhill straight to Rivage – turn 10. It's a
long hairpin that follows on to the third gear left that is turn 11, a
particularly tricky corner in wet conditions.
Then there is Pouhon; a very tricky downhill turn that is fast and difficult to find the correct line. Getting the entry spot on is
crucial for keeping the speed up during this long double-left.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
The drivers then arrive at the formidable Blanchimont, a
hugely testing corner that is taken flat out with two right-hand
apexes to hit. The scene of many big accidents, it is a crucial part of the lap to carry momentum on to the following straight.
The final two corners make up the bus stop chicane, which
was re-profiled in 2007. It is a tight right-left as drivers go back down the
gears. The second apex is tighter than the first, the chicane promoting
overtaking due to the heavy braking zone.
The cars can take the pit-entry on the right which is tricky
and tight, or continue on to the start-finish straight for another lap of this
truly breath-taking track.
With breath-taking corners, rich history, stunning surroundings and a highly competitive 2013 field, I can't wait to see the cars on-track for this year's Belgian Grand Prix.
Belgian Grand Prix Fact-file: With breath-taking corners, rich history, stunning surroundings and a highly competitive 2013 field, I can't wait to see the cars on-track for this year's Belgian Grand Prix.
Location: Francorchamps, Belgium
Track Length: 4.352 miles
 |
| (c) allf1 |
Turns: 19
Gear changes per lap: 49
Full throttle: 80%
First race: 1950
Lap record: 1m45.108 - Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2004
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2012 race winner: Jenson Button, McLaren
2012 pole position: Jenson Button, McLaren - 1m47.573
2012 fastest lap: Bruno Senna, Williams - 1m52.822
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC (HD)
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