Spa-Francorchamps. One of Formula 1's jewels in a rather jam-packed crown. The iconic circuit welcomed the F1 fraternity after the usual summer break, where the summer shut down took place and teams took a well-deserved break.
It was the perfect track to host Formula 1's return after a dramatic Hungarian Grand Prix a month earlier and there were plenty of talking points over the race weekend.
Raikkonen was the name on every ones lips in the Spa paddock with his future still unclear. Pirelli came under fire briefly after a handful of punctures during FP1, which were put down to on-track debris, and Jenson Button's name was put into the mix after it was revealed that he is still waiting for McLaren to offer a contract for next season.
The 4.3 mile circuit is a driver, fan and team favourite. Everyone adores its charm, challenge and unpredictability with weather playing its part over the race weekend.
Eau Rouge, Pouhon, Blanchimont: just a handful of corners that challenge drivers to the limit around the 19 turn track - which is 80% full throttle. Check out my race preview for all the information, facts and a track guide on Spa and my F1 Flashback piece, re-living the chaotic 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.
FP1
Rain welcomed drivers for the start of the first practice session, but it wasn't heavy enough to really make the intermediate rubber work. This meant it was a rather quiet first half an hour as the ore established drivers waited for more rain to come.
Button held the early pace before drivers switched to dry tyres for the final 45 minutes. Tricky conditions for the drivers meant there was plenty of slips, slides and spins. However it was Alonso who emerged fastest by the end of the session.
The Spaniard topped the time sheets with a best lap of 1m55.198, just 0.026 seconds faster than Paul Di Resta's Force India. Sutil, Perez and Rosberg completed the top five with Vettel, Gutierrez, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Bottas filling out the top 10.
It remained dry until the final 15 minutes when more rain arrived, keeping cars in the pits and meaning the order established earlier remained the same. Plenty of work still to do but with lots more running in comparison to the rain-hit first practice of 2012.
FP2
The sun emerged for the second practice session, a stark contrast to the earlier conditions that saw a damp first practice. It was a much busier session as teams gathered crucial data and tried out new parts developed during the summer break.
Hulkenberg was the first driver to set a lap time before it was swiftly bettered by team-mate Gutierrez and Daniel Ricciardo. Drivers still struggled for grip on the tricky circuit with both Caterham cars going off simultaneously at the final chicane.
Webber and Massa both took turns at the top before Vettel bettered their previous time. He remained at the front by the chequered flag despite a late puncture - caused by debris - with a best time of 1m49.331.
Webber finished second to make it a Red Bull 1-2 in second practice, Grosjean, Massa and Vergne following close behind. Raikkonen and Alonso - who also had a puncture on his final run - were next up with Perez, Rosberg and Di Resta completing the top 10.
A high-speed crash at turn 15 for Giedo van der Garde put pay to his running and gave the Caterham team plenty to do ahead of final practice on Saturday morning.
FP3
The final practice session ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix took place under overcast skies. However the predicted rain held off for the 60 minute session, giving teams' plenty of time to prepare for qualifying and the race.
Maldonado was the first driver to set a lap time with Bottas and Perez taking turns at the top for a short while. With drivers pushing to the limits, we witnessed plenty of mistakes with numerous drivers locking up into La Source and the Bus Stop Chicane.
Massa narrowly missed binning his car into the wall at turn nine and numerous cars had spins. However it was Vettel who stayed on track to set the fastest time of the session, a 1m48.327. He finished one tenth faster than Alonso with Webber, Vergne and Massa rounding out the top five.
Button showed the improvements in the McLaren in sixth with Gutierrez impressing in seventh. Grosjean, Rosberg and Raikkonen followed close behind with the top 15 cars in FP3 separated by just one second.
We saw close times, plenty of running and the perfect build up to what was a dramatic qualifying.
Qualifying
Q1
The rain started to fall as the green light came on for the start of Q1, a session that determined the grid positions from 17th to 22nd. It was a busy start with cars queuing to get out on track in the tricky conditions, all going for the intermediate Pirelli rubber.
Jean-Eric Vergne was the first to set a representative lap - after Maldonado ahead made as error at Les Combes. Hamilton soon displaced him with Rosberg then taking his turn at the top as the rain began to ease.
There were plenty of mistakes out on track with the likes of Sutil and Bianchi making early errors. The times tumbled with each lap but with the greasy track conditions improving, it gave teams a predicament: new intermediates or fresh slicks. After the first runs it was Rosberg who led from Hamilton, but that was all set to change.
The majority of teams put their drivers on new intermediate rubber but both Caterham and Marussia took a risk and put their cars out on dry tyres. It took time to see the gain but on their final laps they all improved, three of the four incredibly making it into Q2 with van der Garde going third, Bianchi setting the 11th fastest time and Chilton sneaking through in 16th. Pic lost out due to a ill-timed FIA Weybridge call.
With the usual suspects making it through, Williams found themselves in 17th and 20th for Maldonado and Bottas. Vergne and Ricciardo also dropped out in 18th and 19th with Gutierrez and Pic filling out the back row of the grid.
Q2
The weather was the main talking point as the green light came on for the second qualifying session. The 15 minute time frame would decide the positions from 11th to 16th on the grid. All cars took to the track on dry tyres with a mixed up assortment of cars thanks to a frantic first qualifying.
Hulkenberg opened up the results page before Webber swiftly moved ahead of the Sauber driver. Raikkonen out-braked himself into the final chicane and lost crucial time on his first banker lap. The times kept tumbling with confidence increasing in the cool and - in places - still greasy circuit.
Webber and Alonso squabbled closely at the top before Raikkonen managed to find seven tenths on his rivals. Drivers split strategies between the hard and medium Pirelli compounds for first runs before all drivers switched to the softer tyre for their final attempts.
By the chequered flag it was Raikkonen who set the fastest time with Alonso and Rosberg - who moved out of the drop zone with his final lap - rounding out the top three. Button improved to fifth with his final flying lap and Hamilton just snuck through in 10th.
Hulkenberg just missed out on a Q3 slot with Sutil, Perez, van der Garde, Bianchi and Chilton - who was just two tenths off his team-mate - dropping out in the second session.
Q3
Drivers had queued at the pit exit on the dry tyres but in their haste to get out on track, they sat helplessly as the rain began to fall. All but Paul Di Resta went out for that first lap on dry tyres with the Scot emerging on track on the intermediate tyres.
With teams rushing to change tyres, it was crucial to get out on track in the fastest time with the rain intensifying and conditions worsening by the minute. Di Resta duly set the first lap time after the earlier change of plan for his rivals, setting a 2m02.332.
Initially drivers struggled to match his speed and it looked like he had a certain pole - his first - in his hands. Massa's first attempt was 1.7 seconds down, however with the rain stopping with just a few minutes remaining it swung the game into the other nine driver's favour.
Rosberg initially went second before his rivals found time on their final flying laps. The German had provisional pole after his last lap before Vettel moved ahead. Vettel then displaced him before Hamilton moved ahead by two tenths of a second.
With that, both he and second place man Vettel equaled Nigel Mansell with the fourth highest front row starts - 56 - and Webber set the third fastest time. Rosberg was next up with Di Resta, Button, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Alonso and Massa rounding out the top 10 on the grid.
The Race
With a mixed up grid, unpredictable weather and a stunning circuit that always produces stunning racing, the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix was certain to be a good one.
Pirelli were expecting one or two stop strategies for the 44 lap race, but the weather was typically Spa: unknown and ready to cause some drama.
Lewis Hamilton took a dramatic pole position on Saturday afternoon in mixed conditions. He was one of several drivers to star in qualifying, including van der Garde and Di Resta, and had a clear view to turn one - something he didn't have 12 months earlier when he was involved in the huge first corner accident.
Prior to the start of the race, a rather odd occurrence took place as Greenpeace protestors parachuted onto the top of the main grandstand adjacent to the pit lane. Their protest was aimed at title sponsor Shell, but fortunately it didn't disrupt the race.
The cars lined up on the grid, the revs rose and we were racing at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Off the line, Hamilton had a good start but Webber dropped back and Button had a great start from sixth on the grid. The two Lotus drivers got a bit too close for comfort as they exited La Source and swept through Eau Rouge.
Vettel got into Hamilton's slipstream on the run to Les Combes and managed to sweep ahead on the back straight. Button challenged Rosberg but the German closed the door. Meanwhile Alonso had made up positions with Di Resta dropping back and Hulkenberg advancing at turn one.
Massa dropped back to 12th place with Raikkonen also falling back as they crossed the line to complete the first of 44 race laps. However the Finn moved ahead of his team-mate on the Kemmel Straight and impressively, van der Garde managed to maintain his 14th place off the line.
Vettel made a strong jump on Lewis Hamilton, eking out a three second advantage by the time they completed the second lap. Rosberg was holding up a small train of cars in third with Button and Alonso eager to make gains.
The Spaniard used DRS and a healthy slipstream from Button to pass the Brit on the back straight. Meanwhile Massa complained of a problem with his steering wheel dash alongside a KERS problem. Button continued to slip down the order after Webber displaced him in a near identical move to the one put on him by Alonso on the previous lap.
Alonso was on the move and passed Rosberg - who looked considerably slower in comparison to Hamilton - for third on the Kemmel Straight. Vettel continued to extend a considerably advantage over Saturday's pole sitter with the four second mark being surpassed by lap seven.
Perez squeezed Grosjean onto the kerb on the approach to Les Combes, the Mexican using DRS to displace the Frenchman. However the Lotus continued straight on and over the run-off area, losing a number of positions in the process.
Raikkonen used DRS to pass Hulkenberg for eighth place but his car was depositing a worrying amount of brake dust as the Lotus pit wall became a very busy place indeed. Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa kick started the pit window and stopped for fresh rubber on lap 10. The German was slow away and ended up emerging alongside Massa.
Di Resta filed into the pit lane on the following lap as Charles Pic retired from the race with a oil leak. The battle for fourth place started to heat up with Webber putting pressure on Rosberg, the Aussie revealing earlier in the day that Ricciardo would replace him at Red Bull for 2014.
Perez was given a drive through penalty for forcing Grosjean off track in their earlier battle - harsh in my view - as Hamilton pitted from second place on lap 12. His team-mate made his first visit to the Mercedes pit box on the following lap, coming in earlier than predicted by Pirelli.
The pit lane was buzzing with activity as Alonso, Webber and Perez all pitted for the first time. Hamilton and Alonso displaced the yet-to-stop Grosjean as race leader Vettel pitted for a set of medium compound tyres, putting Button into the lead.
Alonso overtook Hamilton into La Source and despite the Brit's best efforts and the aid of DRS, he couldn't reclaim the place. Button pitted for the first time on lap 18, putting on the hard compound tyre - McLaren looked to be attempting a one stop strategy.
Sutil, Di Resta and Perez managed to - somehow - avoid contact after briefly running three wide on the run to Eau Rouge. Up front, Vettel was having a quietly dominant middle stint as he maintained a eight second gap to the chasing Fernando Alonso.
With race distance passing the half-way mark, Grosjean had still yet to stop and was lapping three seconds slower in comparison to the leader. He filed into the pit lane on lap 23 to take on a new set of hard compound tyres.
Raikkonen was challenging Massa for seventh place and had a good run on the Brazilian through Blachimont. However the Finn went straight on at the Bus Stop Chicane after a brake problem, immediately pulling into the pits and retiring from the race. It ended 38 consecutive race finishes and a record breaking run of 27 consecutive finishes in the points for the 'Iceman'.
Gutierrez, Maldonado, Di Resta, Sutil and Hulkenberg were all battling closely as they swept through Blanchimont and towards the Bus Stop Chicane. However it inevitably ended in tears with contact between Maldonado and Di Resta's Force India. The Venezuelan actually collided with the sister Force India first before colliding with the Scot.
Alonso pitted for a fresh set of rubber as the yellow flags came out, possibly in anticipation for a safety car. However the efficient Spa marshals soon cleared the stricken Force India and racing resumed without restriction.
Vettel pitted from the race lead on lap 31 for a fresh set of hard tyres. He emerged well clear of the Ferrari driver with a clear track ahead of him. Fast forward a few laps and Webber began to close in on Rosberg's Mercedes. Button's team radioed to confirm that McLaren were switching "back to plan A" and rain started to become a possibility.
Plan "A" proved to be a two-stop strategy, the Brit pitting with nine laps remaining for a fresh set of hard tyres. Webber and Rosberg continued to squabble but gaps extended and the race quietened down. Meanwhile Maldonado was given a 10-second stop/go penalty and Gutierrez was handed a drive-through for gaining an advantage off track.
Sebastian Vettel wins the Belgian Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel took a dominant victory at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, his second victory on the iconic circuit. He started second but took the lead on the first lap, extending a considerable gap and controlling the field in typical 'Vettel' style. He had two clean pit stops and proved that Red Bull still have the fastest car, even after the summer break.
Alonso finished in second place, moving up from a disappointing grid slot to take a welcome 18 points. Ferrari confirmed that they are back with a bang, the problems of the past clearly gone with the improved pace of the F138. He drove a stunning race with some strong overtaking moves to finish runner-up.
Hamilton could only manage third after starring in qualifying, proving Mercedes' race pace flaws are still there. He struggled in comparison to the leading two but took another welcome podium finish and a good haul of points. Still, it confirmed that the Brackley based squad still have plenty to do in order to challenge leaders Red Bull Racing.
Rosberg had a
decent run to fourth albeit a rather busy one, constantly defending his
position. He lost time in the first stint but his pace picked up as the
fuel load wore off. However, it was a good race overall for Mercedes with
two cars in the top five. Webber chased Rosberg home but just couldn't
get past. The Aussie showed strong flashes of speed but he couldn't put
together a charge on those ahead.
Button dropped to sixth after his late pit stop and failed to make up ground after it. However McLaren looked to have made steps forward and the points helped the Woking based squad re-take fifth in the constructor's standings. He had a storming start but couldn't hold on to his position, settling into a groove and sounding relaxed on team radio: you could tell he was enjoying every second.
Massa had a terrible start and lost KERS early on, but despite the early troubles he managed to claw back ground and cross the line in seventh place. He made some bold overtaking moves and managed to steal some welcome additional points from eighth place man Romain Grosjean in the closing stages. The Frenchman lost position after an incident with Perez but made a one-stopper work to score Lotus's only points of the race.
Adrian Sutil managed to survive numerous clashes and battles to finish ninth and collect Force India's only points of the race. The Silverstone based squad usually perform strongly on the low downforce circuit but it proved to not be the case on Sunday afternoon. Ricciardo rounded out the points finishers in 10th as talk on his future continued to rumble on. It was a decent race for the Toro Rosso driver after a lowly grid slot.
Perez just lost out on the final point in 11th after a drive-through penalty. Hulkenberg dropped to 12th after a promising start with Gutierrez and Bottas finishing close behind the German. Giedo van der Garde had a strong race and maintained his position early on, finishing an eventual 16th but ahead of a clumsy Maldonado. Bianchi out-raced Chilton once again, propping up the results table.
Three drivers retired from the race. Pic's Caterham suffered an oil leak, Raikkonen had a brake problem and Di Resta was hit by Maldonado.
The rain failed to materialise but it was a dramatic race nonetheless with a dominant victor and some very impressive moments.
For reaction from the drivers post-race, check out this piece and check out my favourite images from the race weekend here.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Raikkonen was the name on every ones lips in the Spa paddock with his future still unclear. Pirelli came under fire briefly after a handful of punctures during FP1, which were put down to on-track debris, and Jenson Button's name was put into the mix after it was revealed that he is still waiting for McLaren to offer a contract for next season.
The 4.3 mile circuit is a driver, fan and team favourite. Everyone adores its charm, challenge and unpredictability with weather playing its part over the race weekend.
Eau Rouge, Pouhon, Blanchimont: just a handful of corners that challenge drivers to the limit around the 19 turn track - which is 80% full throttle. Check out my race preview for all the information, facts and a track guide on Spa and my F1 Flashback piece, re-living the chaotic 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.
FP1
Rain welcomed drivers for the start of the first practice session, but it wasn't heavy enough to really make the intermediate rubber work. This meant it was a rather quiet first half an hour as the ore established drivers waited for more rain to come.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Button held the early pace before drivers switched to dry tyres for the final 45 minutes. Tricky conditions for the drivers meant there was plenty of slips, slides and spins. However it was Alonso who emerged fastest by the end of the session.
The Spaniard topped the time sheets with a best lap of 1m55.198, just 0.026 seconds faster than Paul Di Resta's Force India. Sutil, Perez and Rosberg completed the top five with Vettel, Gutierrez, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Bottas filling out the top 10.
It remained dry until the final 15 minutes when more rain arrived, keeping cars in the pits and meaning the order established earlier remained the same. Plenty of work still to do but with lots more running in comparison to the rain-hit first practice of 2012.
FP2
The sun emerged for the second practice session, a stark contrast to the earlier conditions that saw a damp first practice. It was a much busier session as teams gathered crucial data and tried out new parts developed during the summer break.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Webber and Massa both took turns at the top before Vettel bettered their previous time. He remained at the front by the chequered flag despite a late puncture - caused by debris - with a best time of 1m49.331.
Webber finished second to make it a Red Bull 1-2 in second practice, Grosjean, Massa and Vergne following close behind. Raikkonen and Alonso - who also had a puncture on his final run - were next up with Perez, Rosberg and Di Resta completing the top 10.
A high-speed crash at turn 15 for Giedo van der Garde put pay to his running and gave the Caterham team plenty to do ahead of final practice on Saturday morning.
FP3
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Maldonado was the first driver to set a lap time with Bottas and Perez taking turns at the top for a short while. With drivers pushing to the limits, we witnessed plenty of mistakes with numerous drivers locking up into La Source and the Bus Stop Chicane.
Massa narrowly missed binning his car into the wall at turn nine and numerous cars had spins. However it was Vettel who stayed on track to set the fastest time of the session, a 1m48.327. He finished one tenth faster than Alonso with Webber, Vergne and Massa rounding out the top five.
Button showed the improvements in the McLaren in sixth with Gutierrez impressing in seventh. Grosjean, Rosberg and Raikkonen followed close behind with the top 15 cars in FP3 separated by just one second.
We saw close times, plenty of running and the perfect build up to what was a dramatic qualifying.
Qualifying
Q1
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Jean-Eric Vergne was the first to set a representative lap - after Maldonado ahead made as error at Les Combes. Hamilton soon displaced him with Rosberg then taking his turn at the top as the rain began to ease.
There were plenty of mistakes out on track with the likes of Sutil and Bianchi making early errors. The times tumbled with each lap but with the greasy track conditions improving, it gave teams a predicament: new intermediates or fresh slicks. After the first runs it was Rosberg who led from Hamilton, but that was all set to change.
The majority of teams put their drivers on new intermediate rubber but both Caterham and Marussia took a risk and put their cars out on dry tyres. It took time to see the gain but on their final laps they all improved, three of the four incredibly making it into Q2 with van der Garde going third, Bianchi setting the 11th fastest time and Chilton sneaking through in 16th. Pic lost out due to a ill-timed FIA Weybridge call.
With the usual suspects making it through, Williams found themselves in 17th and 20th for Maldonado and Bottas. Vergne and Ricciardo also dropped out in 18th and 19th with Gutierrez and Pic filling out the back row of the grid.
Q2
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Hulkenberg opened up the results page before Webber swiftly moved ahead of the Sauber driver. Raikkonen out-braked himself into the final chicane and lost crucial time on his first banker lap. The times kept tumbling with confidence increasing in the cool and - in places - still greasy circuit.
Webber and Alonso squabbled closely at the top before Raikkonen managed to find seven tenths on his rivals. Drivers split strategies between the hard and medium Pirelli compounds for first runs before all drivers switched to the softer tyre for their final attempts.
By the chequered flag it was Raikkonen who set the fastest time with Alonso and Rosberg - who moved out of the drop zone with his final lap - rounding out the top three. Button improved to fifth with his final flying lap and Hamilton just snuck through in 10th.
Hulkenberg just missed out on a Q3 slot with Sutil, Perez, van der Garde, Bianchi and Chilton - who was just two tenths off his team-mate - dropping out in the second session.
Q3
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
With teams rushing to change tyres, it was crucial to get out on track in the fastest time with the rain intensifying and conditions worsening by the minute. Di Resta duly set the first lap time after the earlier change of plan for his rivals, setting a 2m02.332.
Initially drivers struggled to match his speed and it looked like he had a certain pole - his first - in his hands. Massa's first attempt was 1.7 seconds down, however with the rain stopping with just a few minutes remaining it swung the game into the other nine driver's favour.
Rosberg initially went second before his rivals found time on their final flying laps. The German had provisional pole after his last lap before Vettel moved ahead. Vettel then displaced him before Hamilton moved ahead by two tenths of a second.
With that, both he and second place man Vettel equaled Nigel Mansell with the fourth highest front row starts - 56 - and Webber set the third fastest time. Rosberg was next up with Di Resta, Button, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Alonso and Massa rounding out the top 10 on the grid.
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| (c) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team |
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 2m01.012s
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2m01.200s + 0.188s
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 2m01.325s + 0.313s
4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 2m02.251s + 1.239s
5. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 2m02.332s + 1.320s
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 2m03.075s + 2.063s
7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 2m03.081s + 2.069s
8. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 2m03.390s + 2.378s
9. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 2m03.482s + 2.470s
10. Felipe Massa Ferrari 2m04.059s + 3.047s
Q2 cut-off time: 1m49.088s Gap **
11. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m49.088s + 0.792s
12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m49.103s + 0.807s
13. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m49.304s + 1.008s
14. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m52.036s + 3.740s
15. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m52.563s + 4.267s
16. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m52.762s + 4.466s
Q1 cut-off time: 2m02.948s Gap *
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 2m03.072s + 2.882s
18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2m03.300s + 3.110s
19. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2m03.317s + 3.127s
20. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 2m03.432s + 3.242s
21. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 2m04.324s + 4.134s
22. Charles Pic
107% time: 2m08.603s
The Race
With a mixed up grid, unpredictable weather and a stunning circuit that always produces stunning racing, the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix was certain to be a good one.
Pirelli were expecting one or two stop strategies for the 44 lap race, but the weather was typically Spa: unknown and ready to cause some drama.
Lewis Hamilton took a dramatic pole position on Saturday afternoon in mixed conditions. He was one of several drivers to star in qualifying, including van der Garde and Di Resta, and had a clear view to turn one - something he didn't have 12 months earlier when he was involved in the huge first corner accident.
Prior to the start of the race, a rather odd occurrence took place as Greenpeace protestors parachuted onto the top of the main grandstand adjacent to the pit lane. Their protest was aimed at title sponsor Shell, but fortunately it didn't disrupt the race.
The cars lined up on the grid, the revs rose and we were racing at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Off the line, Hamilton had a good start but Webber dropped back and Button had a great start from sixth on the grid. The two Lotus drivers got a bit too close for comfort as they exited La Source and swept through Eau Rouge.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Massa dropped back to 12th place with Raikkonen also falling back as they crossed the line to complete the first of 44 race laps. However the Finn moved ahead of his team-mate on the Kemmel Straight and impressively, van der Garde managed to maintain his 14th place off the line.
Vettel made a strong jump on Lewis Hamilton, eking out a three second advantage by the time they completed the second lap. Rosberg was holding up a small train of cars in third with Button and Alonso eager to make gains.
The Spaniard used DRS and a healthy slipstream from Button to pass the Brit on the back straight. Meanwhile Massa complained of a problem with his steering wheel dash alongside a KERS problem. Button continued to slip down the order after Webber displaced him in a near identical move to the one put on him by Alonso on the previous lap.
Alonso was on the move and passed Rosberg - who looked considerably slower in comparison to Hamilton - for third on the Kemmel Straight. Vettel continued to extend a considerably advantage over Saturday's pole sitter with the four second mark being surpassed by lap seven.
Perez squeezed Grosjean onto the kerb on the approach to Les Combes, the Mexican using DRS to displace the Frenchman. However the Lotus continued straight on and over the run-off area, losing a number of positions in the process.
Raikkonen used DRS to pass Hulkenberg for eighth place but his car was depositing a worrying amount of brake dust as the Lotus pit wall became a very busy place indeed. Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa kick started the pit window and stopped for fresh rubber on lap 10. The German was slow away and ended up emerging alongside Massa.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Perez was given a drive through penalty for forcing Grosjean off track in their earlier battle - harsh in my view - as Hamilton pitted from second place on lap 12. His team-mate made his first visit to the Mercedes pit box on the following lap, coming in earlier than predicted by Pirelli.
The pit lane was buzzing with activity as Alonso, Webber and Perez all pitted for the first time. Hamilton and Alonso displaced the yet-to-stop Grosjean as race leader Vettel pitted for a set of medium compound tyres, putting Button into the lead.
Alonso overtook Hamilton into La Source and despite the Brit's best efforts and the aid of DRS, he couldn't reclaim the place. Button pitted for the first time on lap 18, putting on the hard compound tyre - McLaren looked to be attempting a one stop strategy.
Sutil, Di Resta and Perez managed to - somehow - avoid contact after briefly running three wide on the run to Eau Rouge. Up front, Vettel was having a quietly dominant middle stint as he maintained a eight second gap to the chasing Fernando Alonso.
With race distance passing the half-way mark, Grosjean had still yet to stop and was lapping three seconds slower in comparison to the leader. He filed into the pit lane on lap 23 to take on a new set of hard compound tyres.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Gutierrez, Maldonado, Di Resta, Sutil and Hulkenberg were all battling closely as they swept through Blanchimont and towards the Bus Stop Chicane. However it inevitably ended in tears with contact between Maldonado and Di Resta's Force India. The Venezuelan actually collided with the sister Force India first before colliding with the Scot.
Alonso pitted for a fresh set of rubber as the yellow flags came out, possibly in anticipation for a safety car. However the efficient Spa marshals soon cleared the stricken Force India and racing resumed without restriction.
Vettel pitted from the race lead on lap 31 for a fresh set of hard tyres. He emerged well clear of the Ferrari driver with a clear track ahead of him. Fast forward a few laps and Webber began to close in on Rosberg's Mercedes. Button's team radioed to confirm that McLaren were switching "back to plan A" and rain started to become a possibility.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Sebastian Vettel wins the Belgian Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel took a dominant victory at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, his second victory on the iconic circuit. He started second but took the lead on the first lap, extending a considerable gap and controlling the field in typical 'Vettel' style. He had two clean pit stops and proved that Red Bull still have the fastest car, even after the summer break.
Alonso finished in second place, moving up from a disappointing grid slot to take a welcome 18 points. Ferrari confirmed that they are back with a bang, the problems of the past clearly gone with the improved pace of the F138. He drove a stunning race with some strong overtaking moves to finish runner-up.
Hamilton could only manage third after starring in qualifying, proving Mercedes' race pace flaws are still there. He struggled in comparison to the leading two but took another welcome podium finish and a good haul of points. Still, it confirmed that the Brackley based squad still have plenty to do in order to challenge leaders Red Bull Racing.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Button dropped to sixth after his late pit stop and failed to make up ground after it. However McLaren looked to have made steps forward and the points helped the Woking based squad re-take fifth in the constructor's standings. He had a storming start but couldn't hold on to his position, settling into a groove and sounding relaxed on team radio: you could tell he was enjoying every second.
Massa had a terrible start and lost KERS early on, but despite the early troubles he managed to claw back ground and cross the line in seventh place. He made some bold overtaking moves and managed to steal some welcome additional points from eighth place man Romain Grosjean in the closing stages. The Frenchman lost position after an incident with Perez but made a one-stopper work to score Lotus's only points of the race.
Adrian Sutil managed to survive numerous clashes and battles to finish ninth and collect Force India's only points of the race. The Silverstone based squad usually perform strongly on the low downforce circuit but it proved to not be the case on Sunday afternoon. Ricciardo rounded out the points finishers in 10th as talk on his future continued to rumble on. It was a decent race for the Toro Rosso driver after a lowly grid slot.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Three drivers retired from the race. Pic's Caterham suffered an oil leak, Raikkonen had a brake problem and Di Resta was hit by Maldonado.
The rain failed to materialise but it was a dramatic race nonetheless with a dominant victor and some very impressive moments.
For reaction from the drivers post-race, check out this piece and check out my favourite images from the race weekend here.
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h23m42.196s
2. Alonso Ferrari +16.869s
3. Hamilton Mercedes +27.734s
4. Rosberg Mercedes +29.872s
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault +33.845s
6. Button McLaren-Mercedes +40.794s
7. Massa Ferrari +53.922s
8. Grosjean Lotus-Renault +55.846s
9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes +1m09.547s
10. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1m13.470s
11. Perez McLaren-Mercedes +1m21.936s
12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1m26.740s
13. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari +1m28.258s
14. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari +1m40.436s
15. Bottas Williams-Renault +1m47.456s
16. van der Garde Caterham-Renault +1 lap
17. Maldonado Williams-Renault +1 lap
18. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth +1 lap
19. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth +2 laps
Not classified/retirements:
Driver Team On lap
Di Resta Force India-Mercedes 26
Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 25
Pic Caterham-Renault 8
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