[deetjohn]

It's back!

Spa-Francorchamps in the Ardennes forest is a pilgrimage for F1 fans across the world every year as they travel to Belgium to admire cars through the iconic high speed corners and undulating surfaces make it one of the most challenging tracks in the world.

What a stunning sight! With characteristics to match. No wonder its a favorite among fans and drivers


It is highly popular among drivers and the factor which will probably stand out this weekend is that it is the highest engine power factor circuit on the calendar. The track is 70% full throttle and the run from La Source hairpin to the braking point for Les Combes features 23.5 seconds of constant full throttle. And in this first season of the hybrid turbo power units, that will have a significant bearing on the result.

It should be a serious challenge for the drivers this year, with the restriction on rear downforce under the 2014 rules, the 270km/h Eau Rouge corner will not be taken easily flat out, as it was in recent seasons under the old rules.

Stunning photos showing the gradient of Eau Rouge



Alonso' save in Eau Rouge 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD17cX9MvNg

Track Layout

Mark almost loses it at Eau Rouge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOWUu5oqa1s

Race Strategy Briefing



Likely Tyre Performance
Pirelli tyre choice for Spa: Medium and soft is a more adventurous selection than the last two seasons, where Pirelli brought medium and hard tyres. The soft will be the qualifying tyre, clearly, but the race will be interesting and trading off pace for durability will be key. With a long lap, almost 2 minutes around you gain and lose more than at most venues by being on the right or wrong tyre at a particular moment.

Weather Forecast
The forecast for this weekend is for cloudy weather, with a chance of rain on Saturday qualifying day. Spa is notorious for fickle weather. With such a long lap, it can be raining on one part of the circuit and the rest can be dry. Also the temperatures can fluctuate dramatically, so it can be 25 degrees one day and 15 degrees the next. This can have a significant effect on the cars.

Pit Stops
The time needed for a stop at Spa is average at around 21 seconds. Although it’s a long pit lane, with a slow exit, the cars staying on the track must navigate a slow hairpin so the lost time isn’t as great as it might be. Based on the tyre considerations listed above, the majority will probably go for two stops, around laps 13 and 28.

Chance of a Safety Car
The chance of a safety car at Spa is statistically high at 1.4 per race. Rain is one reason, but also accidents tend to be high speed and so there can be quite a lot of debris.

Qualifying rarely determines the final race result; the pole sitter has only won the race four times in the last 13 years. Overtaking is not a problem at Spa and the DRS wing makes it very straightforward anyway. Throw in a more adventurous tyre selection from Pirelli than in the last couple of years at this track and you have multiple elements that could add up to an exciting race.

courtesy: JAonF1, deltagap

[mayankk]

This is Mercedes' race for the taking.
I'm hoping for Lewis to win this.

[nipcarlover]

Max Chilton to be replaced by American Alexander Rossi due to contractual issues.

Marussia F1 team press release

[Hatari]

The circuit maps show the Speed Trap being at Eau Rouge's exit, not at the end of the Kemmel straight.
Wonder why, top speed is much higher there at the end, with DRS as well.

[myavu]

A bit from Thursday's press conference

Q: (Angelique Belokopytov - AutoDigest) To all of you: you know every driver has his beliefs to have luck during a race, someone wears white shirts, another doesn't shave, so what about you? What will you do or not do before a race?

JB: Well, there's one that I won't tell you, there's one that I can tell you: that I always get into the car from the right side. That's it.

DK: There's no luck, I think.

RG: I used to have superstitions when I was younger and once I forgot things that I used as superstitions and I won the race, so I thought that was useless but there are certainly routines: I always put on my suit the same way, I always jump in the car from the right hand side and with the seatbelts always the same way. It's just the fact that you get ready to race.

DR: It's an excuse for something to go wrong! It's nonsense.

NR: I keep my underwear from qualifying if I'm on pole for the race! And they're not allowed to be washed either.

FM: Yeah, me too! Not to be on pole, you know, because otherwise I have just one this time. If I start the weekend in a good way and I use the same on Saturday and Sunday. I also go inside the car from the left side, to put my right foot first in the car. So many things that don't change anything but you just feel well.

Cheers!

Vinu

[Blue_V]

Yes its time to . What a circuit ! Its incredibly hard to nail Pouhon on 'Grid', how do these guys turn in so precisely ?!

Spa can never be axed, everybody love it except that little old man. If not for the craze for the circuit, little mugambo would have knocked it off the calendar.

Mercedes power to rule again. But rain is also predicted. Lets hope for a topsy turvy qualifying and race.

[deetjohn]

Build-up in pictures courtesy F1Fanatic.

He is ice cool, ain't it? Ricciardo the latest to take the Ice Bucket Challenge


Toro Rosso' new boy, Max Verstappen


Seb: Rocky, how is this new boy Max? Is he as fast as Daniel?


Glorious!

[nipcarlover]

Originally Posted by Hatari

The circuit maps show the Speed Trap being at Eau Rouge's exit, not at the end of the Kemmel straight.
Wonder why, top speed is much higher there at the end, with DRS as well.

It's been there since pretty much always.. If you want the speed at the end of Kemmel Straight, just take at the Sector 1 speed trap which is right before the braking point for Les Combe.

[GTO]

Man, that was a L-O-N-G break! I'm so glad the boys are back

Like most F1 fans, this track is my absolute favourite. Agreed with Mayankk, this one is going to be an out & out Mercedes race. Question is: Which driver . If the previous few races are anything to go by, we're going to be biting our nails through the GP.

Here's something to drool over while we anxiously wait for the weekend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eE3gCy5zvM

[MavericK46]

Lovely video of how Eau Rouge has been tackled over the years:

P.S: Listening to the music that those V10s dispense as against the resonating noise that we hear today brings a tear to my eye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myy4K9B9zT0

[Blue_V]

Originally Posted by MavericK46

Lovely video of how Eau Rouge has been tackled over the years:

P.S: Listening to the music that those V10s dispense as against the resonating noise that we hear today brings a tear to my eye

JPM's Williams BMW sounds the best, 2004 car that is. The best scream among screams

[zenren]

That was a long break, but the Spa track partially makes it worth the wait.

Looks like Alonso has a good chance at taking the third step with the track not too favourable on the Redbull in particular. I would still watch out for Ricciardo and Bottas to spring in a surprise due to their amazing ability to manage the tyres. With the softer compounds on offer, they can easily manage to do a stop less to recover some of the pace they might lose flat out.

[RishiSuri]

This would be an interesting race to watch the top 4 consists of 3 world champion and 1 leading this year . Will be exciting to see the strategies the overtaking and some nasty drives .

[zenren]

Originally Posted by RishiSuri

This would be an interesting race to watch the top 4 consists of 3 world champion and 1 leading this year . Will be exciting to see the strategies the overtaking and some nasty drives .

I am more interested in the two guys that follow the top 4 - Ricciardo and Bottas. Both of them are potentially future world champions and have been giving everyone else a real run for their money this year. Alonso is the only other guy outperforming the car. Without that dominant car, both the Merc drivers would have been just mediocre this year.

EDIT: Would we hear "Daniel is faster than you" today?

[sgiitk]

With the rain affected qualifying we may see a lot happening during the race.