Free Practice...
FP1:
The order of the day was slippery spins for Kimi Raikkonnen and Yuki Tsunoda at the start of the session - luckily both cars and drivers were fine and limped back to the pits with flat spotted tyres.
However, things got worse for Kimi as he made a very uncharacteristic mistake for a man of his experience, crashing into the pit entry which caused damage to the front left side of his car - front wing and possibly suspension and steering rod damage.
A lot of teams were experimenting with the different setups. Sector 1 and 3 rely on straight line speed to gain lap time whereas sector 2 relies on good downforce levels to ace the tricky corner combinations on the long circuit. A compromise must be achieved in order to get the best lap time. This must also take into account the weather forecast for the weekend - it's slippery on track and the car needs to stay on track.
On first glance at the timing screens you would think "what on Earth happened to Hamilton?” who was running down in P18 after the checkered flag- there is a good reason he was this far down the order - he was blocked on a fast lap by the Williams of Nicholas Latifi. This meant he didn't get a proper fast lap in, hence the place on the timing screens being so far down.
Another driver who suffered from the traffic was George Russell, albeit this blocking was a lot more dangerous. Lance Stroll was ahead of Russell going up through Eau Rouge when George was on a fast lap when Lance stayed going slowly on an out-lap, an incredibly dangerous place to be going slowly. Luckily both drivers were okay as George overtook Lance and some other traffic at turn 5 saying the whole incident was “silly”.
Carrying on with the spinning and off track moments, Leclere had a trip to the gravel
trap at turn 7 but after this the session was rather quiet.
Again, Pierre Gasly is a standout in a practice session being in the top 3 behind Bottas and Verstappen. Both Alpines seem to have good pace staying in the top 10, there was definitely a lot to learn from this session as the rain cloud loomed ominously above the garages - the weekend was about to get a lot wetter, and with that a whole lot more complicated!
FP2:
This next session was ruled by the ominous rain clouds which threatened to spill over the track. Through all of this, what kept us all entertained was the introduction of the helmet camera from Fernando Alonso’s point of view - it was incredible to go up Eau Rouge on board inside his helmet -you can tell why the drivers love spa. The pure speed could almost be felt through the camera.
The session had 2 red flags, the first brought out by Charles Leclerc. At turn 7, Leclerc span out into the barrier and broke the front end of the car - he hopped out which ended his session, eventually dropping down to P18 with his time on the Hard tyres.
Once the green flag was waved the drivers were eager to get out onto the track. Lando had some banter with his race engineer about the place he was in the queue in the pit lane which he had severely miscalculated on the pit wall.
The session was red flagged once again due to Max Verstappen suddenly losing the rear end at turn 7 - the same place Charles was caught out. Funnily enough Charles' stricken Ferrari could be seen behind the barriers in the camera shot shown on the TV feed.
The session was not restarted so even though Max had crashed he topped the timings - on the medium tyres. A surprise from the session was Latifi outpacing Russell.
That is Friday action over and onto Saturday.
FP3:
The weather took a turn for the worse, the weather getting wetter and the downpour increased during all of our Saturday action.
We started with a spin for Pierre Gasly, which ultimately led him to the pits for a quick tyre change and then he was back out on track.
Kimi's weekend got worse when his brakes failed; he finished FP3 with only 3 laps completed.
Max visibly showed less rear downforce on his Red Bull, thus suggesting Red Bull are focussing on straight line speed in sector 1and 3 then the cornering speed in sector 2. This was shown through the cut down rear wing, it is skinnier in length and the flap is narrower - allowing for more speed on the straights.
Eventually all cars were on full wet tyres -with some drivers such as Max Verstappen leaving the garage to his motorhome with 15 minutes of the session left.
Some good performances in the midfield, Lando was P4 at the end of the session Stroll ended P5.
Pierre makes it a hat trick of top 10 finishes in Free Practice in Belgium - Russell outpaces Bottas, who seems to struggle in the wet -finishing P11 compared to Russell's P9.
That's it for free practice, now onto what looks to be a very wet and dramatic qualifying session.
Qualifying...
The combination of the continuing championship battle and the wet weather would make Saturday’s qualifying session a thrilling prospect. Lewis Hamilton had six pole positions to his name going onto the track, and is well-renowned for his skill in slippery conditions. His rival, Max Verstappen, had topped FP3 and is also known for his prowess in the tricky conditions the Spa circuit would showcase.
There was, however, a possibility of a surprise pole-sitter. This year and the last we have been entertained by new race-winners and shock podiums, and with the midfield tighter than ever, unpredictable conditions could lead to one of them claiming pole. In Turkey last year, we witnessed such an event- Lance Stroll took pole from Max Verstappen, master of the wet, by just under 3 tenths of a second. The race that followed went on to be one of the most iconic of the 2020 season, with plenty of spins from various drivers, regardless of their experience. Racing Point’s success in that race came down to switching the tyres on and getting them up to temperature- which would be key at Spa.
Q1:
The track conditions and visibility was so poor that Q1 did not commence at the scheduled time, and was delayed. After a few laps by the safety car, which kicked up quite a bit of spray, it was deemed that Q1 would start at 15:12.
Cars queued up in the pitlane and it was revealed what the tyre of choice was to be: wets. Yet, it was Latifi at the front of the line of cars testing the intermediates, which was generally viewed as a risk - but would provide a lot of information for the other nine teams who chose the blue-walled wet tyres. There would be lots of action to follow as drivers sought out the best lines on a wet track and fed information back to the pitwall. Lando Norris quickly reported that by the time laps were completed around the long, winding Spa track, it would be a needed switch to the intermediate tyre. Teams would be looking to Williams to see if Lando’s opinion was worthy, and the feedback they would receive would be mixed. Whilst Russell appeared to have good pace, setting one of the fastest sectors in the field, his attempt to set a timed lap was interrupted when his teammate Latifi spun at Turn 12, bringing out the yellow flags. When George eventually got a time on the board, it was 5 seconds quicker than Max Verstappen and purple in all sectors, and Latifi backed him up for a Williams 1-2. The green intermediate tyre was clearly the optimal choice.
Suddenly, the pitlane became a hive of activity when teams called their drivers in to boot on the intermediates, and once they were released back on track, the track ramped up and the Williams cars were quickly displaced by new times being set. Norris in his McLaren looked like a driver to keep an eye on (or try to, through that spray and mist) earning purple in all sectors and setting a time of 1:58.776. The Williams didn’t fall into the danger zone though- with tyres that had done more laps than anybody else, they had reached the optimum temperature for their racing boots, and were holding on.
With the rest of the field’s tyres warming and the drivers finding their favourite lines in the wet, times only continued to improve. Fans certainly went on a rollercoaster as different drivers hovered in the danger zone, and Daniel Ricciardo put in his final lap in a less than ideal moment- just after the session ended. Only improving to P12, it would be a worrying wait for McLaren as their rivals behind utilised the improving track. Norris, meanwhile, was content to extend his lead at the top of the timing sheets.
With Williams in P5 and P10, we waited for the other usual backmarkers to complete their final laps. Ultimately, Haas and Alfa Romeo were unable to escape Q1, with Tsunoda in P17 after Giovinazzi’s improvement from behind.
In other news, Alpine barely scraped through to Q2. It would have been a big shock for Ocon, who had become a F1 race winner only weeks ago. The team revealed their close call was due to a power outage at their pitwall!
Q2:
Mercedes, who didn’t perform too strongly in Q1, were the only team to retain used intermediates on their cars, but this strategy was clearly miscalculated as they called their drivers back in to change to fresh tyres.
Back out on track, Russell and Norris continued their strong runs, both displacing Latifi who got the first time on the board. Even the Dutchman Verstappen couldn’t trump Norris on his first run. The Mercedes pair were the last to set their first runs due to the changes at the beginning of their session, and neither of them set a secure lap, with Hamilton in P7 and Bottas in P9- lap times likely due to track position, traffic, and reports of incoming rain. With just two minutes to go, both Mercedes drivers even ended up in the elimination zone, and were still there when the flag signaled the end of the session.
Despite reports of increased rain in the middle sector, Norris improved to remain top of the time sheets, and many others ascended the leaderboard. Mercedes managed to knock on the door of his 1:56.025 eventually when Hamilton and Bottas slotted into P2 and P3, but the Mercedes cars didn't look reassured at all at a wet Spa Francorchamps. Latifi, although he improved to P7, was displaced, but Williams still had something to celebrate with George Russell making Q3 again. Would this be the race weekend in which Mercedes boss Toto Wolff makes his decision on that second Mercedes seat?
Unfortunately, and perhaps surprisingly, both Ferraris were eliminated in Q2, just pushed out by their other midfield rivals. They were split by Latifi in a steady P12, with Alonso and Stroll behind (their counterparts appearing much stronger).
Q3:
Williams continued to appear eager as they sent George Russell out first, likely to get track position and clean air.
Track assessment was also important, for the rain was not pacifying and perhaps getting even heavier, as some cars switched to wet tyres. Sebastian Vettel was the first to call for a red flag, judging the wet conditions as too dangerous, and Lando Norris agreed before starting his hot lap. Woefully, Norris lost control at Radillon and the session was red flagged immediately, though thankfully the Brit was moving in his car and confirmed over the radio, slightly breathless, that he was okay. Vettel also confirmed his fellow driver was okay after pulling over in his Aston Martin to check with a questioning thumbs up, before reminding his team and the FIA of his earlier assessment: “They should red flag.” Lando was able to get out of his car and was aided to the medical car, seemingly and mostly alright, but many fans were quick to point out online that he was holding his arm and looked to be limping. His car by contrast was not in a good shape, and would need heavy repairs- a possible grid penalty necessary if any parts were to be replaced. A correction caused Norris to hit the barrier at speed, and though luckily that diminished, the wet track spun him and the car around and across the track, shredding parts as it went. A gutting conclusion to Lando’s qualifying session, especially when his pace looked good enough for a maiden pole position.
14 minutes later, the session restarted, with Lando being checked over in the trackside medical centre. With lots of standing water, notably at Les Combes, wet tyres were expected but the two championship rivals Mercedes and Red Bull chose to send their drivers out on intermediates. It would be a mix of tyres for the top ten, Russell opting for wets at first but then swapping them for intermediates. Hamilton was the first to set a time, and understandably it is slower than Q1 and Q2- a 2:01.552. His teammate was 1.5 seconds slower. The battle would focus on two drivers who succeed in these wet conditions: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, and the Dutchman would only manage P2 after his first run. Whether this translated to advantage Mercedes, we would wait to find out.
After going out so quickly previously, the choice to switch from wets to intermediates cost Russell and piled the pressure on, with the Brit only having time for one hot lap. It started off brilliantly. Last to set a time, he took advantage of the lines and improved track to go purple in both sector one and sector two, earning the top position on the timing sheets. His possible future teammate and world champion cannot even beat him, only managing P2. It would be down to Verstappen to determine who would obtain pole position, and in the final moments the Dutchman would pip the Brit to it. As the crowd realised a massive cheer went up, for this is partly a home race for Max.
Of course the story of Saturday was none other than Mr Saturday, George Russell. His front row start would be the first for Williams since Stroll in 2017.
Lewis Hamilton would line up directly behind Max Verstappen on the grid in third, alongside Daniel Ricciardo in fourth- some good fortune for McLaren. Vettel, Gasly, Perez, Bottas, Ocon and Norris would make up a tasty top ten, especially with more rain forecast. Bottas did have a grid penalty applied from the incident in Hungary, so he would actually begin in P13.
In an update supplied by McLaren, Lando Norris visited the hospital for an X-Ray on his elbow, and was released fit to race.
"The team did an amazing job to put me on the track at the right point with the right tyres, and when it mattered we delivered." - George Russell
"If tomorrow is like this weather-wise, anything is possible." - Valtteri Bottas
The Race...
Well as the British saying goes…. when it rains it pours. Unfortunately for fans and spectators both at the circuit and on the sofa at home that was the case for the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
But…. looking on the positive side, we did end up with what 3 laps? Or more specifically 3 minutes and 27 seconds of on track action. But, however many it was, we still ended up with a classification, although not without controversy, leading to Max having arguably the easiest win of his career and a hugely rewarding as well as deserved podium for a certain British driver, also celebrating 50 races in Formula 1.
Despite the hope and promise of a thrilling race based on previous occasions, the grid would dramatically iterate the importance of performing well on Quali day with over 75% of the grid staying exactly as it was when the checkered flag was waved on Saturday afternoon.
On the way to the grid, it would be the fate of only 18 cars to be present for the green light as Kimi Raikonen would start from the pit lane after a last minute change to his rear wing component not being of the same specification. Sergio Perez also decided he'd take a back seat in the race as he collided with the barrier at Les Combes leaving his car beached with a broken front wishbone and suspension.
Straight off the bat, all start proceedings were delayed by 10 minutes, then a further 5… And yup, you guessed it. 5 minutes again!
Side note: There may be even more delays than that, and if it wasn't, it definitely felt like it!
Some immeasurable amount of time later the cars set off for a formation lap behind the ever more familiar Mercedes safety car, but it just wasn't to be. Nestled in the heart of the Arden forest, numerous sky pundits and drivers have iterated the circuits almost 'microclimate' which is believed to be "almost impossible to predict".
With this, everyone bar the number 7 and 11 cars returned to the safety and shelter of the easy-ups with drivers and teams alike scrambling for the umbrellas. It was at this point Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly reached out to his race engineer, worrying about his dinner and the sausages he may or may not be eating at the team BBQ that evening. Daniel was also sure to mention his 200th race start to his Papaya team just in the event anyone had forgotten.
After a lot, lot more waiting around and interesting rain dance moves from the spectators in the grandstands, Formula 1 once again tried to get their tyres spinning but with no luck yet again. The decision was then made to abandon ship and return to the pitlane for what would be the next 2-3 hours.
The drivers hopped out of their cars - in red flag conditions. We are then treated to a very interesting conversation between Red Bull team sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and Race director Michael Massi. Wheatley argued that Sergio Perez’ car could be recovered and there would be nothing stopping him doing a pitlane start after the necessary repairs were carried out. Massi sounded unsure about the regulation and decided to confirm it with his “steward friends”.
After about half an hour, it is announced by Massi that Perez could participate as
a pit lane starter as he has broken parc ferme because parts of his car were replaced during the red flag. His car was fully fixed in about an hour and ready to race.
Interestingly, the FIA decided to use the power of "Force Majeure" and break the sporting regulation which stipulated a Formula One race has a 3 hour limit. This rule can be used on a case by case basis and allows the race director to ignore the sporting regulations and adhere to the international regulations which allows him to adapt the race depending on the situation he is presented with - in this case he paused the race timer so that if the conditions cleared we could have an hour long race.
It's this point in time when all hell broke loose. Twitter was brought back from retirement to the forefront of a meme-off; everyone looking for something to do with no time window or seemingly hopeful gap in the typhoon conditions in order to continue racing.
To name a few we witnessed:
-Daniel attempted and half successfully piloting a Mexican wave with the pit straight grandstands.The honey badger then went on to show off his MMA skills on his trainer Micheal. (Rumor has it, he's signed for them for 2023!)
- Lando eating his dinner (no BBQ worries there) then being caught napping….. literally.
-The Alpine garage having the time of their life doing the Macarena to no music, leading to a very unorganised chaotic dance.
- Seb and Mick getting in their practise for the football season.
- A Red Bull mechanic falling over in the garage and being filmed, which was broadcasted on the main tv feed which is shown to pretty much every country in the world.
- Alpine bringing the choreography with a group Macarena then a more relaxing game of cards.
- Charles and Carlos playing chess against each other.
- The marshalls going boating as well as filming their audition tape for mechanics next season with pit-stop practise.
Throughout this immense time delay, commentators for Sky F1 were also complaining about repetitive strain injuries from flicking papers whilst trying to figure out how to fill the time.
At 18:07 local time, it was announced the race would restart behind the safety car. 2 laps were completed -which is enough laps to allow points to be given out. The cars returned to the pits -the race would not be restarted; the conditions were too treacherous and of course we should not be racing in conditions where the drivers lives could be in serious danger.
This means baring Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen (drivers gaining a place from Perez and Kimi dropping) everyone was awarded their qualifying position as their race qualification -however the amount of points handed out was halved due to less than 75% race distance being completed.
Effectively, Max's pole gave him the win but George Russell was talk of the town after getting his first podium in Formula One after his stellar qualifying. A very disgruntled Lewis Hamilton accepted 3rd place.
Of course it was sad to not go racing around the iconic Spa Francorchamps circuit but for the safety of the drivers, Marshall’s and fans we completely understand the precautions taken to stop the racing and we hope when we return next year it will be even better than ever!
It was the weirdest race weekend many of us have witnessed, however that's why we love F1!
Anything can happen-including George Russell getting 2nd place in a Williams
without completing one green flag racing lap!
So with that rather odd race weekend done, let’s look forward to our next race in the Netherlands, at Zandvoort. The iconic orange army will be out in full force to support a certain Dutch driver and we can’t wait to see what action this new circuit will hold!
Comments