667 replies to this topic

[SophieB]

Our fifth race in six weeks, the teams must be absolutely on their knees. Still, last one before the summer break. Spa is, of course, one of the jewels on the calendar crown, but things have been a bit bleak over the last few years. Atrocious weather (and in my view, poor decision making) in 2021 meant all paying spectators saw after standing round in freezing cold rain for hours was four laps behind the SC and no money returned. Efforts to improve possible running in severe rain since have so far come to nothing, so hope there's not too much rain forecast if you're going this year. Much more serious was the murder of the circuit CEO in 2021 and ongoing attempts to try to improve the safety record of the track following the tragic death of young F2 driver Anthoine Hubert in 2019. A difficult task due to the geography of the track.

 

(via Autosport: https://www.autospor...orchamps/27978/)

 

All will be hoping that this weekend delivers another great and exciting race, seeing as F1 is on a bit of a roll of late. Let's hope eh?

 

 

 

When is it on?

 

Local time, BST one hour earlier:

 

 

 

 

Weather

 

MeteoMotorsport

@MeteoMotorsport

·Jul 23

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX – WEEKEND OUTLOOK A frontal system will bring unsettled conditions on Friday and Saturday, possibly Sunday too. Exact details including rainfall amounts remain very uncertain, so stay tuned for updates this week. http://meteomotorsport.com/f1 #F1 | #BelgianGP

 

 

 

Obviously the above will likely change. The weather at  spa is crazy and it's not unusual for it to be raining at only one bit of the circuit.

 

The Standings

 

Oh, and we've been kind of used I think to not really needing to look at the Championship tables because we've got used to seeing them like the days of the Champion racehorse Eclipse, i.e Eclipse first, the rest nowhere and tbh, we probably are still but hey...

 

 

 

edited to add: ANF’s informative post about recent track changes

https://forums.autos...ead/?p=10677341

Edited by SophieB, 25 July 2024 - 17:13.

[DevilDare]

Stupid idea of the week; minimum mandated mileage on engines and if you take a new unit then you cannot use the discarded one again.

[jcbc3]

mmmmm, kebab

[SophieB]

It's still wild to me that Spas are named after the town, not the other way round so if, say, Harrogate had been quicker off the mark, we'd talk of going for a nice, restful Harrogate day instead.

[jonpollak]

mmmmm, kebab

With mayo.

Jp

[Yoshi]

Spa - I just love this track - glad to be back here. 

I was hoping for a dry weekend, but the weather god says not this time and it looks like classic Spa weather.

Quite cold indeed for this time of the year. 

[jcbc3]

With mayo.

Jp

 

Mais bien sûr. Nous sommes en Belgique

[southernstars]

Remembering Oscar's brilliant sprint qualifying lap, 11 thousandths from Verstappen...what a lap that was.

[Goron3]

An interesting quirk about this track is that, because these cars produce so much downforce and can take Pouhon flat, most of the actual corners are actually medium speed now. Turns 14 and 15 are probably the most exciting corners to watch imo, especially as a mistake at the latter costs time throughout S3.

[krapmeister]

Apparently it is looking like Verstappen will be getting a 10 place grid penalty for exceeding his allocation of ICE this weekend.

[jonpollak]

Exceeding the amount of toys allowed to be chucked out the pram you mean.

Jp

[krapmeister]

Exceeding the amount of toys allowed to be chucked out the pram you mean.

Jp

And he's been grounded as well!

https://www.racefans...efore-f1-races/

Edited by krapmeister, 24 July 2024 - 10:55.

[southernstars]

I think that's quite a bad idea, actually. I don't think it had anything to do with what happened last Sunday and it just gives his critics more ammunition. Additionally, it will also make him very unhappy and he is already annoyed. Let him have his gaming outlet, maybe suggest gently that he not do enduros on race weekends, but otherwise, he's a grown adult, he can manage his sleep schedule.

[Yoshi]

Toto's arms are wide open for Max.
Silly decision by RB.

[SamH123]

What's that about the CEO murder?  

Never heard of that, why did he get murdered

*she sorry

Edited by SamH123, 24 July 2024 - 11:43.

[Frood]

What's that about the CEO murder?
Never heard of that, why did he get murdered

She. Murder-suicide by her husband, who also killed another two people. Very sad.

[Secretariat]

I think that's quite a bad idea, actually. I don't think it had anything to do with what happened last Sunday and it just gives his critics more ammunition. Additionally, it will also make him very unhappy and he is already annoyed. Let him have his gaming outlet, maybe suggest gently that he not do enduros on race weekends, but otherwise, he's a grown adult, he can manage his sleep schedule.

I think Red Bull's request is a reasonable one which to my understanding is simply "no late night sim racing sessions before a race, please." Also, given that sim racing has also grown to be a sizable professional enterprise and the level that Verstappen is involved, he is effectively moonlighting. This is something that can run afoul of some contractual obligations in employment (not saying that is the case here). It's an easy ask from Red Bull and should be an easy "okay, no problem" from Verstappen, which seems to be the case.

[Myrvold]

I still find it weird that they race at Spa. Then everyone goes back to base and home. Have a little break and goes to Zandvoort. Seems a bit unecessary.

[rodlamas]

Max set for a 5th engine, drops 10 positions on the grid - https://www.autospor...hange/10638218/

[IrvTheSwerve]

They really need to dump the DRS on Kemmel. I feel that it's ruined racing on Spa.

[IrvTheSwerve]

And he's been grounded as well!

https://www.racefans...efore-f1-races/

 

Look out for new username 'Vax Merstappen' this weekend on iRacing...

[Anja]

They really need to dump the DRS on Kemmel. I feel that it's ruined racing on Spa.

 

Or at least shorten it by a lot. It's easily one of the worst cases of DRS overkill on the calendar. 

[SophieB]

I still find it weird that they race at Spa. Then everyone goes back to base and home. Have a little break and goes to Zandvoort. Seems a bit unecessary.

The pace they’ve been running at this season has been insane, I don’t think it would be sustainable without the break. I’m not sure it is even with the break.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Or at least shorten it by a lot. It's easily one of the worst cases of DRS overkill on the calendar. 

 

Yep. It could probably be half the length and still do the job, albeit making overtaking actually challenging into Les Combes (crazy I know).

[Muppetmad]

With Verstappen taking a penalty here, the pressure is on Norris to take the win and make a more sizeable dent in the points gap.

[IrvTheSwerve]

I think that's quite a bad idea, actually. I don't think it had anything to do with what happened last Sunday and it just gives his critics more ammunition. Additionally, it will also make him very unhappy and he is already annoyed. Let him have his gaming outlet, maybe suggest gently that he not do enduros on race weekends, but otherwise, he's a grown adult, he can manage his sleep schedule.

 

Can he really, though? I'd Suggest that being in bed between 11pm and 6am would be an absolute minimum for a World-class athlete being paid millions. As I said in the Sky thread, there's a reason sports teams have kerfews.

 

Not so much of a problem when he's got the best car by a mile, but that's not so much the case now.

[IrvTheSwerve]

With Verstappen taking a penalty here, the pressure is on Norris to take the win and make a more sizeable dent in the points gap.

 

Max probably makes it to third with the DRS anyway.

[MortenF1]

Current forecast for Saturday might give us a qualifying session like the one we had in 2021… 😐

Edited by MortenF1, 24 July 2024 - 13:55.

[IrvTheSwerve]

The pace they’ve been running at this season has been insane, I don’t think it would be sustainable without the break. I’m not sure it is even with the break.

 

I think F1 will have a serious mental health crisis in the next couple of years. Or at the very least, a HUGE turnover in staff.

[Earthling]

Perez to be outqualified by both VCARBS (and maybe Logan) again? 

[jonklug]

I think Verstappen and RedBull can surprise and still win this, but they will have to finally nail a setup to do it. 

[KWSN - DSM]

They really need to dump the DRS on Kemmel. I feel that it's ruined racing on Spa.

 

They really need to dump DRS period.

[Myrvold]

The pace they’ve been running at this season has been insane, I don’t think it would be sustainable without the break. I’m not sure it is even with the break.

 

I am more thinking along the lines of: Break before Spa, and run Spa & Zandvoort back to back instead.

[SophieB]

I am more thinking along the lines of: Break before Spa, and run Spa & Zandvoort back to back instead.

Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, Spa before the break seems wrong. It should be the curtain raiser for the second part of the season.

[Jellyfishcake]

I agree, Spa and then Zandvoort should be a double header (or Spa, Monza) after the summer break 

[Beri]

Who drew that map? Who commited to blasphemy? Who wrote "Au Rouge" instead of Eau Rouge? I need answers!

[SenorSjon]

Who drew that map? Who commited to blasphemy? Who wrote "Au Rouge" instead of Eau Rouge? I need answers!

Perhaps someone who crashed there will call it Au Rouge from then on.

[Beri]

In Dutch/Flemmish that works. Dont know if the English native tongue knows what Au is. Its ouch. Like in pain.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Gold water!

[DevilDare]

They really need to dump the DRS on Kemmel. I feel that it's ruined racing on Spa.

 

Well at least they reduced it!

 

https://x.com/racefa...138659617194190

[TauriJ]

75 meters is nothing

[Myrvold]

Gold water!

 

Probably better than the shower-version.

[Dara]

Look out for new username 'Vax Merstappen' this weekend on iRacing...

iRacing will just reschedule the race just to have him.
It's free worldwide advertising for them

[loki]

Thought it was summer break already.  Forgot Spa is before now not after.  Having it now seems like a “disturbance in The Force” like moving Australia from the first or not ending in Brazil or Japan.   At least next season they fixed the Aussie thing.

[loki]

In Dutch/Flemmish that works. Dont know if the English native tongue knows what Au is. Its ouch. Like in pain.

We have it but it's “ou”.  Like you guys more common than ouch.  That sound could be universal across the world.

[TomNokoe]

The pace they’ve been running at this season has been insane, I don’t think it would be sustainable without the break. I’m not sure it is even with the break.

There are no more standalone races until the end of the year. Every race is part of a double or triple header!

[SophieB]

There are no more standalone races until the end of the year. Every race is part of a double or triple header!

It’s just way too much.

[LolaB0860]

At least next season they fixed the Aussie thing.

Only temporarily sadly

[Nemo1965]

Who drew that map? Who commited to blasphemy? Who wrote "Au Rouge" instead of Eau Rouge? I need answers!

It’s AU Rouge in Dutch if you get it very, very wrong as a driver! (Like Jacques V. and Zonta in their BAR’s.

[rodlamas]

A brand new track surface at Spa-Francorchamps

 

Pirelli has already been able to assess the new asphalt, a month ago during the 24 Hours of Spa, the classic GTWC race for which the Italian company is the sole tyre supplier. During last June’s race, the GT3 cars lapped three seconds quicker than the previous year, with the same compounds. Of course the performance level of the GT cars cannot be compared to that of a Formula 1 car, not even using the current, highly advanced simulation tools. But it is highly likely that the new surface will lead to a significant reduction in lap times and a considerable increase in the grip level on the resurfaced sections.