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2013 Belgian Grand Prix: Free Practice 2 Report

Free Practice 2 for the Belgian Grand Prix was dominated by Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel setting the quickest time of the session followed very closely by his team mate, Mark Webber.

Vettel set a P1 time of 1:49.331, just 0.059s ahead of Mark Webber in the other Red Bull, who set a time of 1:49.390. The session was not without incident though. Vettel suffered a rear right puncture with 30mins left in the session. Eyebrows will be raised at this incident since Pirelli changed the construction of the tyres. Thankfully the entire construction stayed intact and did not explode in the same way as the tyre failures as the British Grand Prix.

Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde had a moment out of T15. He lost the back of the car and spun out into the tyre barrier. Interestingly enough, it looks as though he’s incident was in the same area where Vettel picked up his puncture.

The long run pace of Red Bull and Lotus is looking very strong. With some teams that will opt for a 1-stop strategy, it could make things very interesting come race day.

Included below is the timing sheet for FP2 for the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix

August 23, 2013
Suzuka to keep Japanese Grand Prix until at least 2018

Suzuka will remain on the Formula 1 calendar until at least 2018 following the signing of a new contract with F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Ecccelstone met with Suzuka president Hiroshi Soda in London this week to agree to the terms of a new five-year deal which starts in 2014.

This means that Honda, the Japanese car manufacturer which owns the Suzuka circuit, will get a home race when it returns to F1 as engine supplier for the McLaren F1 team in 2015.

Ecclestone told Autosport, “It is great to see Honda back in F1 in 2015. I am sure that the Japanese Grand Prix will attract greater attention than ever.”

Suzuka remains a favourite amongst racing fans and drivers alike so it’s good to see it remain on the calendar despite previous concerns around the fact that the Japanese Grand Prix gets no investment or backing from the Japanese government.

Suzuka president Soda told Autosport that it made financial sense to still have the Japanese GP at the circuit.

Photo By Morio (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

August 23, 2013
2013 Belgian Grand Prix: Free Practice 1 Report

In a tricky and damp Free Practice 1 session in Belgium, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso set the quickest time of the morning.

The Belgian Grand Prix weekend got off to a rather wet start today. With the track dry in some areas and damp and slippery in other sections it proved to be a rather mixed bag of results for FP1. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso set the fastest time of the morning with a 1:55.198. Force India’s Paul Di Resta set a time of 1:55.224 to set the second fastest time with his team mate Adrian Sutil third fastest with a time of 1:55.373.

Because of the damp conditions there was not much running but with 40 minutes left in the session there was a brief flurry of activity where the track became quicker and times started to tumble. The rain soon followed which meant that there was not much running for the remainder of the session.

We’re hoping the weather clears up for FP2, although the weather reports don’t look very encouraging

Included below is the full timing sheet for FP1 for the Belgian Grand Prix:

August 23, 2013
The Door is Still Open for Kimi Raikkonen at Red Bull

Infinity Red Bull Racing team principal, Christian Horner has revealed that they have not yet decided who will take the second drivers seat that is available next season after Mark Webber’s departure at the end of the season.

Horner, speaking to AUTOSPORT, said “Nothing is fixed yet. We said we would take the summer to mull things over, but there is no commitment yet. I wouldn’t rule anything out at the moment. Until we finalise who is going to take the second seat, there is nothing much to say.”

This comes after reports earlier in the week stating that Kimi Raikkonen was out of the running for the Red Bull seat and that Toro Rosso driver, Daniel Ricciardo was most likely to take the number two seat at the Milton Keynes based team.

Horner also revealed that there are other possibilities other than Raikkonen and Ricciardo.

“You have to make sure you consider all the options and there are more options than you could possibly think,” he said.

This throws things wide open once again and there will be further speculation as to who is, and who will be in the front running for the open Red Bull seat. No doubt this will refuel the Fernando Alonso story to jump ship from Ferrari with speculation from the Hungarian Grand Prix that under certain conditions he could be a free agent for 2014.

Horner has also stated that, although impressive in testing, Ricciardo is not a certainty to join Red Bull.

“It is an important decision for us and we want to take the time to make the right decision and consider all the options.” he said.

We could see a Red Bull driver announcement in the week leading to the Italian Grand Prix.

August 22, 2013
Belgian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Caterham F1 Team

Caterham F1 team preview quotes ahead of the Belgian GP at Spa.

Charles Pic, Caterham
“I’ve had a great holiday with my family in France and it’s always good to recharge, particularly with seven of the races in the second half of the season being flyaways, but now I’m ready to get back to racing.

“The second to last European race of the season at Spa is one of the classic Grands Prix and there’s a lot of history about the track, particularly when you look back at what it used to be like! These days it’s obviously much shorter, and safer, but it’s still a very good challenge in an F1 car, whatever the weather is like! The main technical focus on Friday and Saturday morning is getting the balance right between the outright speed you need for the high speed sections, like the run to Les Combes, and the downforce you need to push in sector two, particularly through corners like Pouhon which is very quick when you have the car set up well. Get the balance right and a quick lap of Spa is a very satisfying feeling – for the drivers inside the cockpit and the fans watching the cars through corners like Eau Rouge, it’s what F1 is all about!”

Giedo van der Garde, Caterham
“I’ve had a pretty busy August break, spending some time down in Valencia with my physio to keep up the training programme, and then off to Italy for a few days of holiday completely away from motor racing, but now it’s back to work at Spa.

“Honestly, I’ve been excited about racing in F1 at Spa ever since the start of the season, actually probably for all my life! As there isn’t a Dutch Grand Prix these days the Belgian GP is the closest I have to a home race and I know there’s going to be a lot of orange flags around the track, and a lot of support for me and the team all weekend. I know we’re not going to be in a position to fight at the front of the grid, but we’ll still be pushing as hard as possible to beat our nearest rivals, and after the last race in Hungary I’m confident we can start the second half of the season in a positive way and put on a good show for all the fans who’ll make the trip to Spa. I can’t wait!”

Photo by MyCaterham Twitter Team.

August 22, 2013
Belgian GP Spa Preview Quotes – Ferrari

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa share the sentiments of almost all the other drivers on the grid – Spa-Francorchamps is one of their absolute favourite circuits.

Here are the Ferrari team’s preview quotes ahead of the Belgian GP.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
“Spa is a very special circuit that always gets your adrenalin pumping, what with the way the track rises and falls and the very quick corners, which all go to make it a really fantastic experience for a driver. One lap of Spa is like 20 at any other track, in terms of the excitement and adrenalin it generates.

“The most demanding corner is definitely the final chicane before the finish line, because you approach it at around 330 km/h but then you have to tackle this very, very slow chicane with very little grip, because at Spa you set up the car with very little downforce. It’s here that positions change a lot during the race and it’s also important as it marks the entrance to the pit lane, which is very narrow.

“Eau Rouge is an uphill corner taken in seventh gear at over 300 km/h. Even if you take it flat out these days in a modern Formula One car, your body still experiences more compression than at any other corner in the whole championship and that’s what makes it special.

“For the best set-up at Spa you need to make a significant aerodynamic compromise, because the first and third sectors are made up entirely of long straights, where you want the minimum downforce, in order to have as much speed as possible and then there’s the middle sector which has plenty of corners where you want the maximum aerodynamic downforce. So finding the right balance is always very complex at Spa, which means this is the aspect that we will prioritise in free practice.

“Spa is considered to be a very complete circuit which provides a real challenge for both the driver and the team. Therefore, it’s one of those races, along with Monaco and Monza and the other famous tracks with a great reputation, which gives them some added worth, as all the big names have won here in the past, so hopefully this year, we can put our name there. But at the end of the day, it’s still 25 points for the win, just like any other round.

“I did well in 2005 when I came second and also back in Formula 3000. So far, I’ve never been in with a real chance of fighting for the win and I’ve often retired at Spa, usually for reasons of plain bad luck or with technical problems or down to my own mistakes. So it would be great to make up for that this year, picking up all those lost points.”

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
“Spa is fantastic, something of a dream for all drivers to race there, especially in a Formula One car. There’s so much history there and it’s a wonderful challenge with all the climbs and drops and changes of direction, which all add up to make driving there a true pleasure.

“In a modern F1 car, with all the technology and the aerodynamics and the downforce, although Eau Rouge looks like a corner, you actually drive it as though it was a straight, taking it flat out every lap. So actually, the part (of the track) I think is the most fun is towards the end of the second sector and the start of the last one, where there are so many fast corners and changes of direction. The most demanding section comes after the climb from Eau Rouge, when you get a straight followed by all those downhill chicanes because the slightest mistake here costs you a lot of time over the lap.

“Everyone wants to win here. I love the circuit and I hope there are more Spa wins to come in my career. It means a lot because of its history.”

Photo by Ferrari F1 Twitter team

August 22, 2013
Belgian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Force India

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps lies ahead and almost every driver says this is one of their favourite tracks of the season. Here are the preview quotes from the Force India team as they look ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix.

Paul di Resta, Force India
“(The summer break) was very good! I had the chance to put in a bit of training, relax and spend time with my family and friends at home. It was important to make sure I come back stronger for this second part of the season. It’s going to be a very important period and I wanted to make sure I can face it in the best condition and with my batteries fully charged.

“We need to get the car working for us like before. In Budapest it was difficult to drive, but sometimes you get those tough weekends. Since then we have regrouped and analysed the previous races properly and hopefully this weekend will be a fresh start. We usually do well at the Belgian Grand Prix and everyone is determined to get back to the situation we had at the start of the year when we seemed to be punching above our weight.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India
“I think Spa is the favourite for most drivers. It’s a real pleasure to drive there and I’ve had some good results. The high-speed corners are a really nice challenge and there are lots of overtaking opportunities. Plus, there is always the unknown of the weather and a good chance of rain.

“It is important we regain the speed we showed earlier in the year. We are going towards some tracks that should suit our car better and it’s important that we get back to scoring points at every race. I am ready to do my part by taking the opportunities when they appear and helping the team move forward. I have good memories of Spa and I would like to add some more.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
“Spa is a track that we love! As I have said, the car has to be competitive on all tracks, but if I concede that Hungary was not ideally suited to us, by the same token Spa and Monza have traditionally been our stronger tracks. So that gives me a little bit of a morale boost in saying that once we are on top of the game, we should restore our competitive position.”

Photo by the Force India Twitter Team

August 22, 2013
F1 2013: Belgium GP: Spa – the greatest place on Earth

There aren’t many things that Formula 1 teams and the sport’s fans see eye to eye on. But the one thing that has everyone’s unanimous agreement is that Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps is incomparably the best racing track on the face of the planet.

Where other circuit’s layouts are identified by numbers, here corners are named. Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont ooze Formula 1 history and have demanded respect from every era’s most talented drivers. Sites such as Abu Dhabi and Singapore are modern-day showpieces but Spa is where it is every driver’s desire to be part of its mystical history.

The Belgian circuit stands apart in other areas as well. It is the longest on the calendar at 7.004 km and houses its own micro-climate in the foothills of the Ardennes mountain range. The weather effect has been as colossal as the circuit is demanding. The temperamental rain has been known to severely limit running in free practice. While the over 7km long race track stretches through a grand vista of sprawling hills it brings with it the likelihood of contradictory weather conditions at either end of the circuit.

Several teams will bring upgrade packages to the race this weekend with Lotus expected to bring their last major upgrade for the year to their E21 car. A final decision on whether to run the passive DRS system has not been made yet but according to Lotus’ trackside operations director Alan Permane there is a “good chance” that the device will be deployed this weekend.

German sources have suggested that Red Bull Racing is expected to announce Daniel Ricciardo as Sebastian Vettel’s teammate for 2014 this weekend. Dr. Helmut Marko was quoted as confirming that the announcement would be made at Spa. No official announcement has been made by Toro Rosso or its drivers.

What then of Raikkonen’s rumoured move to the championship winning outfit? Rumours of an impending move back to Ferrari have gained a lot of momentum during the month-long break. Subtly, Finnish media have been using images of Raikkonen in Ferrari gear alongside articles and several sources maintain that the Finn has inked a two-year deal with the option of extending for another year.

Raikkonen’s time at Ferrari came to an unpleasant end in 2009 with team president Luca di Montezemolo calling the Finn “unmotivated”. Many have speculated that Raikkonen had gotten on well within the Ferrari team and that the only potential animosity was created by LDM’s comments. If Raikkonen does return to the Maranello outfit it will be slightly humiliating for di Montezemolo who favoured a sponsorship deal with Spanish bank Santander over Raikkonen. Nevertheless, it is guaranteed that if Raikkonen is to return to his former team that Ferrari will welcome their last world champion back with open arms. What the dynamic will be between Fernando Alonso and Raikkonen is debatable; but it is surely a match made in Formula 1 heaven.

Opportunities for overtaking may be abundant but a good qualifying position is nonetheless vital. If for no reason other than to avoid being caught up in someone else’s accident. Romain Grosjean was the perfect case in point in 2012 as he took out several cars including potential race contenders Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

The cooler track temperature coupled with the tougher medium and hard compound Pirelli tyres will favour a team like Mercedes and with a confident Lewis Hamilton they may be a good bet. However, Fernando Alonso needs to make inroads on Vettel’s championship lead and the Spaniard has never won the famous Spa-Francorchamps race. This is more than enough motivation for the double world champ. In reality however his chances will hinge on what Ferrari has up their upgrade sleeves this weekend. Kimi Raikkonen has won the Belgium GP four times once, in 2009, with an exceptionally sluggish Ferrari. He goes into the race a hot favourite for victory.

The best drivers, the greatest sport on the planet on the world’s premier racing circuit – Spa-Francorchamps is unquestionably a Formula 1 fan’s nirvana.

August 22, 2013
Belgian Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Williams F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Williams F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams
“Spa is one of my favourite circuits because it has so much history and is so fun to drive. It’s a very technical and fast circuit and you find a very wide range of corners there: uphill, downhill, very slow, medium, fast, short and long corners. It’s the most complete track of the season and this tests you as a driver and also tests the car’s setup. It also has the famous Eau Rouge corner which puts a lot of G force and pressure on your body. You feel this even more during qualifying when you are low on fuel and are trying to get the most from the car. The weather can be changeable and because it is such a long track, there are times where the track can be wet in one sector but dry in another which requires the teams to make some difficult strategy decisions. Two years ago I picked up my first point in Formula One here and hopefully I will be in the points again this weekend.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams
“I first drove at Spa in 2007 in Formula Renault and immediately fell in love with the track. It’s very high speed, flowing and undulating and gives you a real adrenaline rush. Achieving a good car set-up is difficult because of the wide variety of corners, but we will try to get as much information as we can during the practice sessions to find the most appropriate setup for qualifying and the race. I’ve had a good break during the shutdown period but I’m now itching to get back in the car. We have shown some improvements in race pace over the past few races and we know we are heading in the right direction. We will therefore be looking to have another points-scoring result this weekend that will give us good momentum for the second half of the season.”

Xevi Pujolar, Williams chief race engineer
“After the August break it is great to be back racing again and the whole team is looking forward to arriving at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. It is one of the most challenging circuits in the world for both the car and drivers as you see every kind of corner from long flowing curves to twisty chicanes and hairpins. It’s one of the fastest circuits with an average speed of 230km/h and is also the longest single lap of the year at 7.004km. With DRS and the long lap resulting in large differences in tyre degradation between strategies, overtaking is usually easier here than at many other tracks. Weather is often very changeable here and although early forecasts show a chance of rain on Sunday only, this can quickly change. Also, given the length of the circuit there is an added challenge in selecting tyres in changeable conditions as certain parts of the circuit can be much wetter than others. Overall, we are looking forward to getting the final races of the season underway.”

Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations
“A massive 70 percent of the 7-kilometre Spa-Francorchamps is spent flat out, meaning the track remains one of the biggest test of engines on the F1 calendar. Even though Monza sees the RS27 at full throttle for a longer time, it is the combination of the wide open throttle with the compressions and steep gradients that gives such an awesome workout. La Source to Eau Rouge and onto the Raidillon sees the engine at maximum revs, diving downhill and then climbing through several metres, putting the engines and internals under considerable stress. Having the right balance between reliability and top end power is always a juggling act as a result – and one that is particularly rewarding when you get it right.”

Photo by the Williams F1 Twitter Team

August 22, 2013
Belgian GP Preview Quotes – Marussia

Preview Quotes from the Marussia F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s Belgian GP at Spa.

Jules Bianchi, Marussia
“On the one hand it is very important for everyone in the sport to have a good long break. On the other hand I was ready to go racing again after just one week! That was three weeks ago now, so I am very much looking forward to Spa this weekend and also to the second half of the season, which is very important for us as we have to give it 100 percent to ensure we achieve our objectives. Over the break I have had the chance to reflect on my debut season so far, think about how I can bring all of that experience together to make me stronger and also focus very hard on my physical condition so that I can perform at my best through the run of long-haul races coming up. It will be good to race at Spa again as it is a fantastic track and it will be very special to get my first taste of it in an F1 car.”

Max Chilton, Marussia
“I can’t wait for Spa this weekend. The break has been a good opportunity to think about the first half of the season but it will be good to be back in the car again. I’m feeling very positive about what we need to do in the remaining nine races and I’m ready for the challenge. Although we haven’t been racing, the break has still been a busy time as I treated it a little like a ‘training camp’ and spent part of it on a pretty intensive physical programme. Having raced at Spa a few times now, I’m looking forward to my first experience of driving a Formula One car at what is a very special circuit. It’s a different challenge, with the exceptionally long lap and fantastic mix of long straights and high-speed corners and it certainly ranks high on my list of favourites.”

John Booth, Marussia team principal
“It is good to return after the summer break and have everyone in the team rested and ready for the second phase of races. With only two European rounds remaining, the long haul run will be quite demanding, so the chance for some much-needed respite has been key for everyone. We also head into the second part of the season still holding 10th place in the constructors’ championship and we are keenly focused on what we need to do at every turn to ensure we maintain that position. The challenge begins again this weekend in Spa at what is a favourite destination for our Team and the fans. There we will have some new suspension parts and brakes to evaluate and, as ever, consistent progress during the course of the weekend and a two-car finish ahead of our nearest competitors are the target outcomes.”

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

August 22, 2013