Round 13 - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Summary
Following the summer break we return to action at arguably the finest circuit on the modern Formula One calendar. Nestled in a valley of the Ardennes forest between the villages of Stavelot, Francorchamps and Burnenville, Spa has been part of the cradle of motor racing since 1920.
The original nine-mile layout on public roads was terrifyingly fast, bearing left at Les Combes and looping through the valley beyond, returning towards La Source with a right-handed hairpin in the village of Stavelot. Latterly the premier Formula One cars and sports prototypes of the day could achieve an average lap speed in excess of 150mph. Exceptionally challenging, the circuit lined with trees and telegraph poles and passing between farm buildings was also exceptionally dangerous, and a series of serious accidents, several fatal, made changes unavoidable. Indeed Jackie Stewart's famed campaign for improved safety in F1 was born at Spa, for it was there in the 1966 race that he crashed, his BRM plunging into a ditch and rupturing its fuel tank. The experience of being trapped inside with broken ribs for several minutes - and only ultimately being rescued by his team-mate, Graham Hill - understandably left an impression on the young Scot.
The last Grand Prix on the old track was in 1970 (though events for motorcycles and sportscars continued for a further eight years) and in the interim, F1 visited the comparatively soulless Nivelles and Zolder circuits. A new circuit was conceived, with a new stretch of road linking Les Combes and Stavelot but retaining the Blanchimont-La Source-Eau Rouge section from the original. Immediately from its introduction for the 1983 race drivers loved the new layout, with the new section generally considered to be sympathetic and retaining the character, and flow, of the circuit. For many years the Eau Rouge and Blanchimont corners were the greatest tests of driver bravery on the calendar, with drivers going right up to - and in some cases beyond - the limits of their machinery in attempting to remain flat out. With improvements to the cars and grippier tarmac this is no longer the case but the commitment required for a fast lap remains as high as ever.
Races at Spa have been renowned from the earliest days for the unpredictable weather patterns found in the region. Localised showers have consistently defied weather forecasters and even on today's shorter layout, it is far from unknown for one side of the circuit to be bathed in sunshine while on the other side of the valley the heavens are opening. The chaotic 1998 race has become legendary for the incidents caused by the treacherous conditions, while a late shower in 2008 was the spark for much drama and controversy.
The lap is one of contrasts, with long straights and high terminal speeds in sectors 1 and 3 balanced by a series of long, medium-speed and fast turns in the middle sector. As a result cars with ample, efficient downforce and low drag are rewarded, and comparatively low wing angles are preferred to achieve this. Demands on the engines are high, although ambient temperatures are typically on the low side. Tyre wear is also rarely a problem, though with such a long lap, time spent behind the Safety Car will usually result in very low temperatures and pressures come the restart.
The overall finishing rate at Spa is around the average for this year's circuits.
The likelihood of a driver-related retirement is high.
Mechanical failures in Belgium are consistent with the average at other current tracks.
Finally, the circuit ranks as above average for first-lap retirements in the past five years.
The Last Five Years
[td]Year[/td][td]Starters[/td][td]Finishers[/td][td]Retirements - Mech[/td][td]Retirements - Acc[/td][td]Lap 1 retirements[/td][td]Most places gained[/td]
Circuit Ranking (of all 18 circuits)
Finishing Rate
...
9th Hockenheim 79%
10th Spa 78%
11th Hungaroring 78%
...
Mechanical Failures
...
8th Hockenheim 13%
9th Spa 11%
10th= Interlagos 11%
10th= Shanghai 11%
...
Driver-related Retirements
...
3rd Monte Carlo 15%
4th Spa 15%
5th Catalunya 14%
...
First lap Retirements
...
4th Sakhir 5.7%
5th Spa 4.9%
6th Silverstone 3.8%
...
Spa has been a special track for Michael Schumacher, with his debut at the circuit in 1991 for Jordan and his first win a year later for Benetton. Incredibly, he has scored more points at the circuit than this season's Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull drivers combined! Felipe Massa will be the only other former winner lining up this weekend, following his controversial victory in 2008. Rubens Barrichello (1994), Jarno Trulli (2004) and Lewis Hamilton (2008) have all taken pole position in the Ardennes previously. Last season there was a major shake-up in the competitive order at Spa and if there is a repeat this time, drivers such as Adrian Sutil or Tonio Liuzzi could be fancied to break their points-scoring ducks. Pedro de la Rosa, meanwhile, will simply be hoping to shake off some dreadful luck with his machinery and make it to the chequered flag.
Spa is among the most two-sided races on the calendar, with either Ferrari or McLaren triumphing every race since Damon Hill won for Jordan twelve years ago. Ferrari narrowly hold the advantage on wins, 5-4. Other results have been spread quite widely among other teams - Williams threatened to win a couple of times in the BMW years; Renault flattered to deceive in 2004; and Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella couldn't quite repel Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari twelve months ago. In the event of changeable weather, the new teams may see this as one of few remaining opportunities to trouble the points-paying positions - or at least, to claim the upper hand on their rivals in the Constructors' Championship with a strong classified finish.
Current Drivers' Records at Spa
[td]Driver[/td][td]Starts[/td][td]Finishes[/td][td]Best result[/td][td]Points[/td][td]Retirements - Mech[/td][td]Retirements - Acc[/td][td]Average grid pos.[/td]
Chassis Records at Spa(since 2000)
[td]Chassis[/td][td]Starts[/td][td]Finishes[/td][td]Best result[/td][td]Points[/td][td]Retirements - Mech[/td][td]Retirements - Acc[/td][td]Average grid pos.[/td]Results for BMW Sauber include Sauber
Results for Renault include Benetton
Results for Red Bull include Jaguar
Results for Force India include Jordan and Spyker
Results for Mercedes GP include BAR, Honda and Brawn
Results for Toro Rosso include Minardi
Engine Records at Spa(since 2000)
[td]Engine[/td][td]Starts[/td][td]Finishes[/td][td]Best result[/td][td]Points[/td][td]Retirements - Mech[/td][td]Retirements - Acc[/td][td]Average grid pos.[/td]Results for Ferrari include Petronas and Acer
Results for Cosworth include Ford
All ranking figures are expressed as a % of total starts.
"Retirements-Acc" are retirements where the reason has been listed as Collision, Accident or Spun Off.
Summary
Following the summer break we return to action at arguably the finest circuit on the modern Formula One calendar. Nestled in a valley of the Ardennes forest between the villages of Stavelot, Francorchamps and Burnenville, Spa has been part of the cradle of motor racing since 1920.
The original nine-mile layout on public roads was terrifyingly fast, bearing left at Les Combes and looping through the valley beyond, returning towards La Source with a right-handed hairpin in the village of Stavelot. Latterly the premier Formula One cars and sports prototypes of the day could achieve an average lap speed in excess of 150mph. Exceptionally challenging, the circuit lined with trees and telegraph poles and passing between farm buildings was also exceptionally dangerous, and a series of serious accidents, several fatal, made changes unavoidable. Indeed Jackie Stewart's famed campaign for improved safety in F1 was born at Spa, for it was there in the 1966 race that he crashed, his BRM plunging into a ditch and rupturing its fuel tank. The experience of being trapped inside with broken ribs for several minutes - and only ultimately being rescued by his team-mate, Graham Hill - understandably left an impression on the young Scot.
The last Grand Prix on the old track was in 1970 (though events for motorcycles and sportscars continued for a further eight years) and in the interim, F1 visited the comparatively soulless Nivelles and Zolder circuits. A new circuit was conceived, with a new stretch of road linking Les Combes and Stavelot but retaining the Blanchimont-La Source-Eau Rouge section from the original. Immediately from its introduction for the 1983 race drivers loved the new layout, with the new section generally considered to be sympathetic and retaining the character, and flow, of the circuit. For many years the Eau Rouge and Blanchimont corners were the greatest tests of driver bravery on the calendar, with drivers going right up to - and in some cases beyond - the limits of their machinery in attempting to remain flat out. With improvements to the cars and grippier tarmac this is no longer the case but the commitment required for a fast lap remains as high as ever.
Races at Spa have been renowned from the earliest days for the unpredictable weather patterns found in the region. Localised showers have consistently defied weather forecasters and even on today's shorter layout, it is far from unknown for one side of the circuit to be bathed in sunshine while on the other side of the valley the heavens are opening. The chaotic 1998 race has become legendary for the incidents caused by the treacherous conditions, while a late shower in 2008 was the spark for much drama and controversy.
The lap is one of contrasts, with long straights and high terminal speeds in sectors 1 and 3 balanced by a series of long, medium-speed and fast turns in the middle sector. As a result cars with ample, efficient downforce and low drag are rewarded, and comparatively low wing angles are preferred to achieve this. Demands on the engines are high, although ambient temperatures are typically on the low side. Tyre wear is also rarely a problem, though with such a long lap, time spent behind the Safety Car will usually result in very low temperatures and pressures come the restart.
The overall finishing rate at Spa is around the average for this year's circuits.
The likelihood of a driver-related retirement is high.
Mechanical failures in Belgium are consistent with the average at other current tracks.
Finally, the circuit ranks as above average for first-lap retirements in the past five years.
The Last Five Years
| 2005 | 20 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 11 - Tiago Monteiro (Jordan) |
| 2006 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 - Anthony Davidson (Super Aguri) |
| 2008 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 - Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso) & Adrian Sutil (Force India) & Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) |
| 2009 | 20 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 - Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) |
| Overall | 82 | 64 | 9 | 12 | 4 |
Circuit Ranking (of all 18 circuits)
Finishing Rate
...
9th Hockenheim 79%
10th Spa 78%
11th Hungaroring 78%
...
Mechanical Failures
...
8th Hockenheim 13%
9th Spa 11%
10th= Interlagos 11%
10th= Shanghai 11%
...
Driver-related Retirements
...
3rd Monte Carlo 15%
4th Spa 15%
5th Catalunya 14%
...
First lap Retirements
...
4th Sakhir 5.7%
5th Spa 4.9%
6th Silverstone 3.8%
...
Spa has been a special track for Michael Schumacher, with his debut at the circuit in 1991 for Jordan and his first win a year later for Benetton. Incredibly, he has scored more points at the circuit than this season's Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull drivers combined! Felipe Massa will be the only other former winner lining up this weekend, following his controversial victory in 2008. Rubens Barrichello (1994), Jarno Trulli (2004) and Lewis Hamilton (2008) have all taken pole position in the Ardennes previously. Last season there was a major shake-up in the competitive order at Spa and if there is a repeat this time, drivers such as Adrian Sutil or Tonio Liuzzi could be fancied to break their points-scoring ducks. Pedro de la Rosa, meanwhile, will simply be hoping to shake off some dreadful luck with his machinery and make it to the chequered flag.
Spa is among the most two-sided races on the calendar, with either Ferrari or McLaren triumphing every race since Damon Hill won for Jordan twelve years ago. Ferrari narrowly hold the advantage on wins, 5-4. Other results have been spread quite widely among other teams - Williams threatened to win a couple of times in the BMW years; Renault flattered to deceive in 2004; and Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella couldn't quite repel Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari twelve months ago. In the event of changeable weather, the new teams may see this as one of few remaining opportunities to trouble the points-paying positions - or at least, to claim the upper hand on their rivals in the Constructors' Championship with a strong classified finish.
Current Drivers' Records at Spa
| Michael Schumacher | 13 | 9 | 1st (6) | 80 | 1 | 2 | 4.38 |
| Felipe Massa | 5 | 4 | 1st (1) | 23 | 1 | 0 | 7.2 |
| Rubens Barrichello | 14 | 8 | 2nd (1) | 21 | 5 | 1 | 9.47 |
| Fernando Alonso | 5 | 3 | 2nd (1) | 19 | 2 | 0 | 8.17 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 3 | 2 | 3rd (1) | 11 | 0 | 1 | 5.67 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 3 | 2 | 3rd (1) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11.33 |
| Jenson Button | 8 | 3 | 3rd (1) | 8 | 3 | 2 | 11.38 |
| Robert Kubica | 3 | 3 | 4th (1) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Mark Webber | 6 | 4 | 4th (1) | 8 | 1 | 1 | 9.67 |
| Heikki Kovalainen | 3 | 3 | 6th (1) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Nico Rosberg | 3 | 3 | 6th (1) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Jarno Trulli | 11 | 6 | 6th (1) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8.09 |
| Timo Glock | 2 | 2 | 9th (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Adrian Sutil | 3 | 3 | 11th (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Vitantonio Liuzzi | 1 | 1 | 12th (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Sebastien Buemi | 1 | 1 | 12th (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Pedro de la Rosa | 4 | 1 | 16th (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14.75 |
| Sakon Yamamoto | 1 | 1 | 17th (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Jaime Alguersuari | 1 | 0 | Ret | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| Lucas di Grassi | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nico Hulkenberg | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kamui Kobayashi | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vitaly Petrov | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bruno Senna | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Chassis Records at Spa(since 2000)
| Ferrari | 16 | 14 | 1st (5) | 90 | 1 | 2 | 5.44 |
| McLaren | 16 | 13 | 1st (3) | 67 | 2 | 2 | 5.31 |
| BMW Sauber | 15 | 13 | 2nd (1) | 36 | 2 | 0 | 10.56 |
| Williams | 16 | 12 | 3rd (2) | 21 | 4 | 1 | 9.5 |
| Renault | 16 | 6 | 2nd (1) | 18 | 5 | 5 | 10.75 |
| Red Bull | 15 | 10 | 3rd (1) | 13 | 5 | 1 | 10.63 |
| Force India | 16 | 12 | 2nd (1) | 11 | 2 | 2 | 14.56 |
| Mercedes GP | 16 | 10 | 3rd (1) | 8 | 4 | 3 | 11.81 |
| Toro Rosso | 15 | 9 | 5th (1) | 6 | 2 | 4 | 17.19 |
| Hispania | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Lotus | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Virgin | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Results for Renault include Benetton
Results for Red Bull include Jaguar
Results for Force India include Jordan and Spyker
Results for Mercedes GP include BAR, Honda and Brawn
Results for Toro Rosso include Minardi
Engine Records at Spa(since 2000)
| Ferrari | 36 | 30 | 1st (5) | 108 | 4 | 3 | 10.42 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 20 | 16 | 1st (3) | 77 | 2 | 3 | 5.75 |
| Renault | 20 | 10 | 2nd (1) | 27 | 5 | 5 | 9.9 |
| Cosworth | 15 | 8 | 6th (2) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 13.69 |
Results for Cosworth include Ford
All ranking figures are expressed as a % of total starts.
"Retirements-Acc" are retirements where the reason has been listed as Collision, Accident or Spun Off.
