After a drawn-out summer break, where the drivers & their WAGs will have turned themselves orange, Adrian Newey et al will have flouted the factory shutdown rule, and Fernando Alonso will have groomed his frankly excellent beard/moustache combo, Formula 1 returns to the majestic, wonderful, brilliant, exciting, thrilling, fantastic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium for the Belgian Grand Prix. The longest circuit on the calendar (7.004 km, if you're interested) is packed full of character, from the tight La Source at the beginning of the lap, the (unfortunately) flat-out Eau Rouge, the double-apexed Pouhon corner and the terrifying Blachimont, all set in the middle of the forest with its own micro-climate. There was doubt a couple of years ago about the race's place on the calendar, but thankfully these have been resolved and the Belgian GP is guaranteed a spot on the calendar until at least 2015. We should hope that the teams pressure Bernie into keeping the race on the calendar, as this is a circuit that always produces a good/controversial/exciting race.
More than any other race, the Belgian Grand Prix has been hugely affected by the weather (the circuit can even be wet at one end and dry at the other), most memorably during the chaotic 1998 race where Jordan got their first (and only) 1-2, or the last-lap deluge in 2008 which featured the memorable battle between Hamilton and Raikkonen, and that stewards decision (but please try and refrain from arguing about it - the horse has been well and truly flogged).
Set-up wise, Spa is traditionally a lower-downforce circuit, although Red Bull have used a higher-downforce approach to be fast in sector 2; this has paid dividends - Vettel won here in 2011. Of course, with such a temperamental climate, any whiff of rain on race day will make the race a lottery. With the Lotii, Mercs and Red Bulls seemingly looking fast, they are the cars who you would bet your Brogans (courtesy of cider_and_toast ), for the race and with the Fewwwawi's (courtesy of Jonathan Ross) going backwards. But anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does.
In terms of the championship, Vettel is winning, but with the consistentLotus Raikkonen and the seemingly tyre-issue free Mercedes, we could be in for an exciting race & exciting end to the season (well, apart from in Korea & India 
)
Spa and Monza are the last two legs of the European season, before a series of flyaway races that make up the final leg of the 2013 season and, as we saw last year, every point counts!!!
So.... Ready, Steady, Discuss!!
More than any other race, the Belgian Grand Prix has been hugely affected by the weather (the circuit can even be wet at one end and dry at the other), most memorably during the chaotic 1998 race where Jordan got their first (and only) 1-2, or the last-lap deluge in 2008 which featured the memorable battle between Hamilton and Raikkonen, and that stewards decision (but please try and refrain from arguing about it - the horse has been well and truly flogged).
Set-up wise, Spa is traditionally a lower-downforce circuit, although Red Bull have used a higher-downforce approach to be fast in sector 2; this has paid dividends - Vettel won here in 2011. Of course, with such a temperamental climate, any whiff of rain on race day will make the race a lottery. With the Lotii, Mercs and Red Bulls seemingly looking fast, they are the cars who you would bet your Brogans (courtesy of cider_and_toast ), for the race and with the Fewwwawi's (courtesy of Jonathan Ross) going backwards. But anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does.
In terms of the championship, Vettel is winning, but with the consistent
)Spa and Monza are the last two legs of the European season, before a series of flyaway races that make up the final leg of the 2013 season and, as we saw last year, every point counts!!!
So.... Ready, Steady, Discuss!!
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You can't accurately forecast the weather at Spa. I live in a similar climate, leave home in the sunshine and drive into a rainstorm two k's down the road.
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