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Post by René on Aug 25, 2020 15:42:50 GMT
The seventh race of the season but the first held on the date it would normally also be run. For me this one feels extra strange as it has been a fixed value on my personal calendar for so many years. A weekend to look forward to. You all know what it’s like, getting up really early in the morning and then hearing the first cars when you arrive at the track. I will miss that this time. But it is what it is. I will install myself in front of the tele in my folding chair, a thermos with coffee and a few cold beers and just picture myself to be there!  What to expect? Mercedes of course. The party mode in qualy will be allowed one more time so a first row lockout seems certain. The pink Mercs will probably also fly here in qualifying but all hopes are on a strong Max Verstappen/Red Bull. He is the only one who can really challenge Mercedes in the race and I believe he can do that here at Spa again. No thousands of Dutch fans to cheer him on but he will be fired up for sure. I don’t expect Ferrari to be as bad as in Spain but a victory is not on the table. After winning in 2018 and 2019, the Scuderia will be happy if they can finish best of the rest. And even that won’t be easy as McLaren, Renault and Racing Point have the same ambition. However, there’s a big chance of rain on sunday which could be the great equalizer. A soaking wet Spa race! Yes please!  |
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Post by charleselan on Aug 25, 2020 18:05:57 GMT
Well if it is wet I am going for Lance Stroll. For some bizarre reason he seems to go well in the wet so maybe he has more ability than we all believe him to possess. Personally I am not convinced as he seems very on edge at all times, jerking about at the steering all the time and the car constantly twitching, but there you have it.
In all seriousness it would be wonderful if it rained heavily and Charles pulled off a drive like Gilles, but the disparity in car performance today mitigates against something uplifting like that occurring.
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Post by chrisb on Aug 26, 2020 8:55:34 GMT
have just watched a marvellous clip on utub from 1958, not the Ray Baxter film but a new one, a lap around the old Spa in colour and with a diagram with the new circuit evident, my word it was one fearsome circuit, honestly how they raced there especially in the wet and at those speeds is beyond my understanding, but I would have loved to have had a go,
Spa is a real circuit with such a wonderful opportunity to race I am actually going for Ricciardo, I wish it were the Hulk, but with the weather as it is maybe we can see some of the lesser teams hence why I voted for Daniel, it would be a hoot if he did win, one for the French!
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Post by René on Aug 28, 2020 9:23:16 GMT
Watching first free practice at Spa right now and it still feels strange not to be there or at least have plans to go tomorrow or sunday. But what a wonderful circuit it is so let's hope for a great racing weekend. Let us also remember Anthoine Hubert, one year after he so tragically lost his life at this track.  |
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Post by robmarsh on Aug 28, 2020 10:53:47 GMT
RIP Antoine Hubert.
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Post by René on Aug 29, 2020 11:07:09 GMT
What the **** is going on at Ferrari? It is clear they are not competitive but they seem to fall back even further here. The roadholding of the SF1000 is abysmal so it's not only power related. P17 and P20 in FP3.... this makes 1980 or 1992 look quite good.  |
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Post by charleselan on Aug 29, 2020 18:13:57 GMT
Oh! Dearie, dearie me as my mother would have said. What the blazes has become of Ferrari, words fail at times like this.
When the whole motor racing fraternity need someone to step up and challenge those blasted Mercs, Ferrari go into yet another depressing downward spiral. Look at the back of qualifying and its all the Ferrari powered cars along with the Williams cars.
This will be a bit of a scatter gun appraisal of events, so apologies in advance for some random thoughts.
It will be Monza next weekend and that will be even more power dependent, can anyone here imagine how the Italian media are going to take the prospect of Ferrari not even making Q2. They can only thank their lucky stars that there will be no tifosi at the trackside. Binotto will be lucky to survive this catastrophic lack of performance, if I were him I would be looking for a new position right now.
In hindsight maybe the FIA should have continued to turn a blind eye to the Ferrari power unit "issues" and just let things continue as they were in 2019. At least we would have had some decent competition going on.
Tin hat on now: I wonder if the authorities have made Ferrari wear the sack cloth this year and next as punishment for their misdemeanours with their "interesting interpretation" of the power unit regulations. In other words not humble them publicly by fining or banning them, but making Ferrari do some private remorse. Whatever it is a terrible waste of two highly talented drivers, and it is them that i feel for most as well as the fans!
Hamiltons pole laps were impressive yes, but most of the time he was all over the place and using so much of the outside of the track I thought that Spa had changed its layout. Interestingly Brundle was eulogising about his performance as always, but at least Karun put it into some perspective by giving a clear analysis in saying that it was no more than usual but made to look better as Bottas had under performed.
Look Wolff you need to put Valterri in the Williams now and bring young Russell into the MB team to at least shake Hamilton up a bit.
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Post by robmarsh on Aug 29, 2020 23:07:39 GMT
I agree with your thinking Charles. I get the impression that George Russell is a tough cookie and won't be over-awed by being LH's team mate nor do I think he will be easily intimidated.
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Post by Carl on Aug 31, 2020 0:13:36 GMT
What a disappointment! I was hoping for a test of driving but stumbled onto a dull comparison test of tyre compounds.
Fast forward. Delete!
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Post by René on Aug 31, 2020 8:23:29 GMT
What a disappointment! I was hoping for a test of driving but stumbled onto a dull comparison test of tyre compounds. Fast forward. Delete! Well written race report, Carl.  |
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Post by robmarsh on Aug 31, 2020 8:40:01 GMT
What a boring race, even if held on my favourite circuit. So boring in fact that Mark Hughes has had to resort to an "If my Aunty had Balls" type analysis to make the weekend look remotely interesting. Like the Sunoco Porsche 917/30 that killed Can-Am effectively in 1973, Mercedes is going to do the same to F1, Concorde Agreement or no. The thought of another 10 races like this plus 22 next year is not an appealing prospect.
Ferrari were pathetic.
Drivers of the day: Danny Ric and Pierre Gasly.
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Post by charleselan on Aug 31, 2020 10:26:22 GMT
Carl's race report is DSJ at his very best  ; brilliant analysis. All I can add to the excellent three posts above is the fact that with the bloody ridiculous "***" enabled and people on completely different tyre strategies how the hell can anyone see who is driving better than anyone else, except of course the overwhelming MB's. Then you get the after race interviews when we are told that it was all so difficult for them, and the team back home are working so hard. I would think that the Spa Francorchamps circuit would have felt insulted after this display, just when you wanted rain it did not materialise. A good analogy there Rob with the Penske 917/10 & 30 Can Am dominance. |
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Post by charleselan on Aug 31, 2020 14:07:54 GMT
As an addition to the above, one or two further observations.
Firstly the accident caused by Giovinazzi loosing his Alfa and the carnage it incurred for George Russell was pretty shocking. I thought that there was a rule that stipulated that all wheels had to have substantial tethers attached to prevent the wheels flying all over the place in an accident like that. This is not the first time that i have seen accidents over the past few years where the wheels detach themselves far too easily.
George was very lucky, and the onboard camera action from his car was very unnerving. Although I hate the "toilet seat" I have to say that it helped out on this occasion.
Next point, few (not here but online) have said anything about the performance of Kimi at his favourite circuit; to see an Alfa ahead of both Ferrari's was so strange but he drove the wheels off that thing, and I wonder if his pass on Sebastian had a special feel to it. Knowing Kimi, I doubt that it did, but one never knows. It could well be his last Belgian GP as one gets the impression that he is becoming very much the family man and that is where his interest belongs now.
Charles Leclerc's early laps were yet another example of him having so much of Gilles in his psyche; remember the days of the Ferrari T5! Such a tragedy that he is having to drive that terrible machine this year, and no hope of any improvement.
Both Tonto & Horner have been spouting off about Ferrari in different circumstances, Horner crying that Fizzy Drinks were robbed of victories last year due to the Ferrari power unit anomaly. Tonto on the other hand has been giving his expert advice on the failings of the team and how it is run. Pity both just don't shut up and get on with whatever it is they do.
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Post by robmarsh on Aug 31, 2020 16:35:17 GMT
Yep agreed re Charles Leclerc. I think both Ferrari drivers should be applauded for their weekends work and for not storming off in a huff and parking the cars at the far end of the circuit.
I think the modern Formula 1 car has so much energy to dissipate when not brought to a halt in a controlled manner that the tethers in their current specs can't cope with the forces generated. George Russell was very lucky.
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Post by mikael on Aug 31, 2020 17:32:05 GMT
I missed out this GP (except for the Highlights on the Official F1 page) - and I can understand that it wasn't a big loss (not to watch).
But just a thought: for an F1 team, rather than "the more the better", there seems to be an optimum level of involvement/investment - and this level of investment gives the maximum PR. When Schumacher took one victory after another, that level of domination probably didn't do Ferrari much of a favour, as a brand. The same now with Mercedes. Hard fought-for victories have a much bigger impact - it seems.
It's my impression that Ford's motorsport involvement in the 60's was the most effect motorsport-driven PR campaign that has ever been. They were never overly dominant in any category - yet they were everywhere, involved virtually in any competition that involved four-wheeled vehicles. And this really changed the way a Ford was perceived. On the other hand, I wonder if Mercedes's image has been changed that much during the last six year ...
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; brilliant analysis.
