Grand Prix 2011 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

It's a long summer and the key discussions aren't about the F1.

As we are in the middle of the summer break, the SKY/BBC deal continues to take precedence over any on track action we saw at Hungary, which is a shame as we saw a cracker of a race where Jenson Button eventually won his second race of the season ahead of Sebastian Vettel who extended his lead at the top of the championship yet again and surely it takes a miracle for anyone to overtake him now with less than half the races to go.

However with Belgium coming closer on the calender, it seems as if Red Bull has lost the dominance it held over the first half of the season with McLaren appearing to have the best all round package with 4 wins now this year with 2 for Button and 2 for Hamilton. Ferrari aren't far behind and are perhaps the best team in warm conditions but that remains to be seen after a series of damp and cold races. However it would still be a foolish person to bet against Red Bull going into the Belgian Grand Prix where the fast sweeping corners and technical hairpins will no doubt play to their advantage.

Spa Francorchamps is regarded (quite rightly) as the best driver circuit on the calendar with the famous circuit having many variations from its original form to the current version which was last changed in 2006 to incorporate the new pit area and final chicane, the final chicane wasn't popular as both fans and drivers miss the challenging bus stop chicane and the 'new' pit lane which can cause problems.

The grand prix has been famous for it's unpredictable weather with violent storms and half the track being dry and the other wet at the same time and completely random showers, the big example was 2008 where a late shower caught out the entire field and cost Kimi Raikkonen (and eventually Hamilton) the win. In 1998 torrential rain caused one of the worst starts in F1 history where half the field was wiped out on turn 1, eventually (after a restart) Damon Hill won for Jordan in a 1-2 with Ralf Schumacher second, Michael Schumacher famously nearly started a fight with David Coulthard after crashing into him trying to lap him.

Michael Schumacher has an impressive record at this track, winning his first race at the track in 1992 and taking several wins at the track with his last coming in 2002 where he took his seventh world championship. However at the moment it is unlikely that he will add to his list of wins with the Mercedes well off the pace of the leading trio of Ferrari, Mclaren and Red Bull.

Mercedes might find themselves behind Force India at the race as the track suits them down to a tee, in 2009 Fisichella took a surprise pole position and then took second place just finishing behind Raikkonen in the Ferrari (who always seemed to win at Spa when he was driving there)
Sutil and Di Resta have shown impressive pace recently, with both achieving season bests at the last few races and are closing the gap to the flagging Renault team who have really lost performance since the start of the season with Heidfeld and Petrov dissapointing.

On a personal level I am really looking forward to this race as I have weekend tickets and will be at Pouhon all weekend to bring you the best coverage from the track, (better than these Sky lot anyway)

For Galahad's excellent circuit write up, see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/circuit-de-spa-francorchamps/

 

[Jen]

Red Bull won this at Seb's pit stop at the safety car. Brilliant, if slightly fortunate, tactics. Ferrari need to sort out their prime tyre problems and McLaren could do with some luck, either in qualie or the race. WDC over (although I all think we knew that anyway) but a great drive by Vettel and he overtook some people Yeah, go on, it was because he was on newer tyres, it was all down to DRS, blah, blah, blah...

FB, could it be that he is finally turning into a racer? It was always a possibility

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Lauda thinks Kobayashi didn't do anything wrong.

Lauda said that apparently the stewards didn't think so either!

Lauda was questioning Lewis' decision to move left...and said he would have stayed on that line and made the corner just fine.

Lauda thinks Lewis is one of the best drivers in F1 but that he makes some "stupid" moves...and threw away "a 3rd place finish...at least."

I know there are a lot of Hamilton fans on this site...so don't kill the messenger!

 

[Brogan]

Lauda has already proven he is completely biased when it comes to Hamilton (in that he seriously dislikes him) so his opinion counts for nought.

 

[FB]

I think he's always been a racer Jen, just if you qualify and pole and have the best car which keeps you at the front for most of the race it's very easy to think he can't overtake. He may not be as aggressive as, say, a Lewis Hamilton but look where that often leaves him, up in front of the stewards or parked by the side of the track watching everyone else whizz by.

 

[Sarinaide]

Que the "Massa was a victim and Nando's little toy" oh wait......

Massa can make it easy on himself and move over and perhaps save a place, or he can make it hard and lose two places, I rest my case.

 

[Jen]

He's always been competitive undoubtedly but, I think, it was a bit of a shock when he joined F1 and for some time whenever I thought of Seb, I always remember his constant left turns (quite often from pole) to try and take out others - it just gave the impression that he didn't have the confidence in his own abilities.

Now he is confident and his race craft is better. But he can still be intimidated and that is the only thing that will slow him up.

 

[Fenderman]

... on another positive note. The overtake of the day thread and poll should be a challenge.

 

[Sarinaide]

... on another positive note. The overtake of the day thread and poll should be a challenge.

Oh it is so easy, Massa getting double mugged.

 

[Jos the Boss]

... on another positive note. The overtake of the day thread and poll should be a challenge.

Not for me, Webber on Alonso easily

 

[FB]

To avoid going off topic here's somewhere for us to discuss who failed and why:

http://cliptheapex.com/threads/to-finish-or-not-to-finish-why-did-they-fail.3608/#post-74742

 

[Hamberg]

Well. I went to a different part of the bar (what I thought was the English bit) that turned out to be Kenyan - they love anyone black and are therefore massive Hamilton fans (by the way I've found the Alonso hating Hamilton supporters!) and I was even told by a Kenyan who wanted me to give him my Hamilton cap (makes a change, most are after my laptop) that he knows Lewis Hamilton! I told him to get a cap from him then

Anyway thoroughly disappointed although it was an eventful race. I am desperately trying to avoid the paranoia where everything is Hamilton's fault but this is getting too much now. No further investigation?? Seriously????

I would like to congratulate both Mercedes drivers though for a thoroughly entertaining race and for working so hard right up until the last moment. Great job and they should be very pleased.

 

[Quintessentially]

Re - The Hamilton incident. He was guilty of being too diplomatic once again and giving Kobayashi the benefit of the doubt. I just find him a bit subdued these days possibly due to all the criticism and the Hamilton of the old would've put him on the grass or in the wall at the very worst. He gave Kobayashi room and he took it. The real kick in the teeth was the fact that the stewards didn't even bother looking into it. By all means investigate and call it a racing incident after but to brush it off as a non issue was very mystifying. Reverse the scenario and no doubt everyone would've been up in arms.

 

[Jos the Boss]

Verdict on DRS? I thought it was a success this race, the only massive gaps pulled out where when drivers had much worse tyres and when KERS was deployed aswell as DRS

 

[Brogan]

Verdict on DRS?

My opinion hasn't changed from before the start of the season.

 

[EvilWhippet]

I've always said the stewards investigate too often, Koba-smashy on Hamilton was a racing incident and the exact sort of thing they should just let go. It's racing, it happens. I'll say this though, for whatever reason Lauda and Mansell do not like Hamilton.

I thought Maldonado drove well but gave a foolish post race interview.

Bruno mimmicked his 2010 form. Qualified well (he often out qualified Karun) but ultimately failing to transfer it to the race, where the points are. That was what Heidfeld was good at, bringing in actual points. It ws his first race this year though so he rightly gets another chance, I just can't imagine any version of Heidfeld barreling into a hairpin like that.

Great drive from Vettel
and from Schumacher
and from Button.
In that order for me.

 

[EvilWhippet]

PS, although I think they shoud ease up on race incidents, they should crack right down on mallicious manouvers such as Pastor's...thing.

 

[Hamberg]

Yet again a superb drive from Rosberg gets ignored.

What people are angry at is that Hamilton gets penalised (I'm sorry a reprimand is still a punishment) even when he's minding his own business yet a move that would have guaranteed him a drive-through if reversed doesn't even have the benefit of an investigation. It's disgusting and I'm sorry is nothing short of bullying now. In a normal work situation this would be harassment and I am getting sick of seeing a person looking so deflated, so often. Of course he's to blame on some occasions but a reprimand for nothing followed by no investigation at all is just bloody ridiculous.

I've changed my mind, I'm not disappointed, I'm disgusted.

 

[Brogan]

Yet again a superb drive from Rosberg gets ignored.

He finished behind Michael who started last, so if his drive was superb, what was Michael's?

I made some similar comments in the Hamilton thread.

 

[Jos the Boss]

Yet again a superb drive from Rosberg gets ignored.

Well there were drivers better sadly for nico, but Button, Schumi and Vettel and Webber were all better, good drive though

 

[KekeTheKing]

@ Hamberg - There really are two sets of rules.