Sheesh, races all the way to end of November. The season used to be done and dusted before October was out.
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shooooooooooooooosh - more races is good!
More good races would be good. Quantity unfortunately does not guarantee quality.
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At first I agreed with @Wyvern but I think you have it right @Sweepslag. That’s what happened with rugby. These days there are so many games that very few of the games are actually special. I wish they kept Super Rugby small.
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That’s a brilliant example, actually. More rugby is being played than ever before, but yet the stadiums are empty and viewership is down. Why? Partly spectator fatigue, but also because the quality of the product has not improved one bit. F1 could head in the same direction if you don’t make the actual racing better.
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Bottas to stay!
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Not entirely unexpected. Now to wait for news on Ocon.
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Exciting news! I feel bad for Hulkenberg though. Really like the guy.
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The rumour mill is saying he is def taking grosjeans sheet (seat)
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Interesting. So Haas will be telling Grosjean: “Go, and leave you sheet behind for the Hulk.”
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Bunch of news and confirmations coming out in the last few hours, some of it already mentioned earlier:
The Ericsson is in Belgium on standby in his capacity as Alfa Reserve Driver in case an injury to The Kimi is too much for him to manage the entire weekend:
Pierre not doing his long-term prospects with the Red Bull organisation any good by still muttering and moaning about his “surprise” demotion:
And Gunther Fucking Steiner confirming that the Haas interest in The Hulk is for reals:
KMag and Hulk as teammates? Could be spicy.
Ocon in the Renault:
Bottas to stay a Merc Man in 2020:
Formal announcement of the record 22 race calendar for 2020:
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2019 Belgium F1 Grand Prix Preview
Hallo F1-fans! Ik heb jullie net opgemerkt, kijk hier of ik me zou herinneren dat … F1 terug is Baby!! Ja, na de verplichte pauze van een maand zijn de tien teams en twintig coureurs die het Formule 1 Wereldkampioenschap 2019 betwisten dit weekend terug op hun race-manieren. We zijn uit het Koninkrijk België voor de 75e editie van de Grand Prix van België.
Oh, salut les fans de F1! Je viens de vous remarquer, regardant ici pour voir si je me souviendrais que… F1 est de retour Baby!! Oui, après la pause obligatoire d’un mois, les dix équipes et les vingt pilotes participant au Championnat du monde de Formule 1 2019 sont de retour à leurs habitudes de course ce week-end. Nous sortons du Royaume de Belgique pour la 75ème édition du Grand Prix de Belgique.
Oh, hallo F1-Fans! Hab euch alle dort bemerkt und hier reingeschaut, um zu sehen, ob ich mich daran erinnere … F1 ist wieder da Baby!! Ja, nach der obligatorischen einmonatigen Pause kehren die zehn Teams und zwanzig Fahrer, die an der Formel-1-Weltmeisterschaft 2019 teilnehmen, an diesem Wochenende zu ihren Rennen zurück. Wir sind zum 75. Lauf des Großen Preises von Belgien aus dem Königreich Belgien gefahren.
Oh, hi F1 fans! Just noticed you all there, looking in here to see if I’d remember that… F1 is back Baby!! Yes, after the mandatory one-month break, the ten teams and twenty drivers contesting the 2019 Formula One World Championship are back to their racing ways this weekend. We are off to the Kingdom of Belgium for the 75th running of the Belgium Grand Prix.
That said, this one is going to be more of a copy and paste job than I’m happy with – but time is short at the moment, and y’all are just going to have to deal 
.
Did you know that Belgium has 3 official languages, and that none of them is Flemish? I didn’t until I looked it up. Dutch, French and German are the Kingdom’s official languages, despite the majority of people (some 59% of the population) speaking Flanders Dutch – a distinct dialect of natural Dutch. The Dutch influence in Belgium stretches back to 1830 when, following the Belgian Revolution, the Belgian nation emerged when it seceded from the Netherlands and declared its independence. Expect the hordes of Orange Army Max fans to be out in force again this weekend.
The Belgian Grand Prix was first held in 1925 at the Spa region’s race course, an area of the country that had been associated with motor sport since the very early years of racing. To accommodate Grand Prix motor racing, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps race course was built in 1921 but it was only used for motorcycle racing until 1924. After the 1923 success of the new 24 hours of Le Mans in France, the Spa 24 Hours, a similar 24-hour endurance race, was run at the Spa track.
Since inception, Spa-Francorchamps has been known for its unpredictable weather. At one stage in its history it had rained at the Belgian Grand Prix for twenty years in a row. Frequently drivers confront a part of the course that is clear and bright while another stretch is rainy and slippery.
The original, triangle-shaped track was built in 1921, with designers Jules de Thier and Henri Langlois van Ophem using public roads between the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy, and Stavelot to create an amazing 14.9km circuit taking in the forests and rolling hills of the beautiful Ardennes region. The track was redeveloped in 1979, and although the new circuit is only half the original’s length, it’s still the longest on the current calendar at 7.004km.
Having hosted a non-championship Grand Prix as long ago as 1924, Belgium’s iconic circuit was one of just seven to be part of Formula 1’s maiden championship in 1950. That race was won by the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, who led home an Alfa Romeo one-two ahead of teammate Nino Farina.
Spa is among Formula 1 drivers’ most loved tracks, with its mix of long straights and challenging fast corners allowing them to push their cars to the edge of their capabilities – if it’s dry, that is. The size of the track and the nature of Belgian weather means it can sometimes be raining on one part of the track and dry on another, meaning grip can vary from one corner to the next. Keep an eye on the thrilling Eau Rouge, arguably the most famous sequence of corners in the world, as the drivers flick left, right and then up the hill through Raidillon.
The 2019 Race
- Is Round 13 of 21 making up the 2019 Formula One World Championships, and the 1010th race to be officially classified as a round of the Formula One Championship.
- The 2019 GP will be the 75th running of the Belgium Grand Prix, and the 52nd time that the race will count as a round of the F1 World Championship.
- It will be the 62nd time that the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps will host the Belgium Grand Prix, the 52nd time as a round of the F1 Championship.
- The Belgium Grand Prix will see a mid-season driver change: Pierre Gasly loses his seat to Alexander Albon in a straight driver swap between the Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso teams.
Here’s Albon in the Pre-Race Press Conference earlier today talking about the transition (and Max’s thoughts too):
A quick reminder of the Championships standings as they are at the moment as we head into the second half of the season with the last two European races followed by the seven fly-away races to bring the year to a close
The Last Race
- Notable from last year’s GP was the fact that Sebastian Vettel’s win would be his last of the season. Lewis Hamilton would go on to win 6 of the remain 8 races, with Raikkonen and Verstappen picking up the other 2. And as Vettel remains winless so far this season, Belgium 2018 is his last F1 victory.
- Valterri Bottas’ Lap 32 Fastest Lap is the current race lap record at Spa-Francorchamp.
- Lando Norris, then the McLaren reserve driver, made his professional F1 debut when he drove Fernando Alonso’s car during the First Practice session at last year’s race.
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Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (1:58.179)
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Podium:
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- P1 = Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari (1:23:34.476)
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- P2 = Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (+11.061)
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- P3 = Max Verstappen, Red Bull (+31.372)
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Fastest Race Lap: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes (1:46.286) [Lap 32]
The Schedule
For one of the last times this year we have the luxury of Grand Prix racing happening at sensible times – Belgium and South Africa are on the same time zone thing – so make the most of it Race Fans!
The Circuit
At 7.004km, Spa-Francorchamps is the longest circuit on the 2019 Formula 1 calendar, a full kilometre (1.001km to be precise!) longer than second-longest Baku.
The circuit has over 102m of elevation change, meaning on race day the total elevation gained by each driver is around 4,500m. This is close to the height of mainland Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc.
Spa is also the most power sensitive circuit on the calendar with 74% of a lap spent at full throttle; almost 5km worth of the 7km circuit. As a result, fuel consumption per lap is the highest of the year at 2.5kg/lap
The first period of sustained throttle is the climb from the La Source hairpin at T1 to the chicane at Les Combes, T5. It takes around 25secs with the driver flat on the throttle throughout. The distance is only slighter shorter than a runway at Charles de Gaulle airport.
When it comes to asking anyone about their favourite F1 circuit, whether they’re a fan, a driver or a team member, Spa-Francorchamps is a name that will regularly crop up. The longest track on the calendar is also one of the greatest and provides an all-round test of an F1 car.
Iconic corners such as Eau Rouge/Raidillon and Pouhon are spectacular, with the former seeing the cars descend rapidly from La Source – the first corner – before climbing steeply uphill and over a blind crest.
Not only is it a real challenge, it’s a venue that can also provide plenty of overtaking, with drivers able to slipstream from the top of the hill all the way along the Kemmel Straight until the Les Combes chicane, or similarly follow closely through Blanchimont for a chance to pass under braking for the Bus Stop chicane at the end of the lap.
Part of the challenge of being successful at Spa comes from the fact that there’s more than one way to go in terms of set-up when racing at Spa, with the track featuring three distinct sectors.
While the first sector and the final sector place an emphasis on straight-line speed, the middle sector really demands high downforce for cornering performance. If you opt for more downforce, then a driver has to make up for the time lost on the straights with speed through the corners, while a lower downforce set-up will gain time in a straight line but result in a tough car to handle through the middle sector.
Let’s take a lap of Spa-Francorchamps with Max Verstappen as our tour guide:
The Tyres
Pirelli will bring the 3 harder compound tyres to the Stavelot circuit this weekend. The C1 compound is designated the Hard (white) tyre, the C2 is the Medium (yellow) and the C3 is this weekends’ Soft (red) tyre.
Pirelli note in their race preview report:
- At just over seven kilometres, Spa is the longest track on the F1 calendar – which is why the race distance is scheduled for only 44 laps.
- Spa is also well-known for its changeable weather, and the length of the lap means that it can be raining on one section of the track while staying completely dry in another. If it rains, areas of standing water can easily form, due to the drainage characteristics of the track.
- Most drivers list Spa as one of their favourite circuits, because of the challenge and sensations that it provides them with. Exactly the same is true for the tyres, which are subjected to high forces from all directions: lateral, longitudinal, and vertical.
- Last year the medium, soft and supersoft tyres were nominated. This year’s nomination for Belgium is generally harder and more widely spaced, with the C1 and C2 a little softer than their 2018 hard and medium equivalents and the C3 close to last year’s soft.
- Last year, most drivers chose a supersoft-soft one-stopper (with the notable exception of Valtteri Bottas, who finished fourth with a two-stopper). The race, which was dry after a wet qualifying, was affected by an early safety car – and only two drivers used the hardest compound available.
MARIO ISOLA – PIRELLI HEAD OF F1 AND CAR RACING
“Spa is always an amazing drivers’ circuit but that is also why the tyres are put under some of the biggest stresses that they face all season. As a result, we’ve nominated the three hardest compounds in the range – a slightly different choice to last year – which should allow the drivers to push to the maximum during each stint and minimise the need for pace management. The harder choice this year at Silverstone, for example, led to a very closely-fought race and a fastest lap from Lewis Hamilton right at the end on well-used tyres. We know a lot about Spa, also from our experience of supplying the Spa 24 Hours. Last month’s race there was stopped by rain for several hours, which underlines the likelihood of mixed weather conditions, with qualifying for last year’s Belgian Grand Prix run in the wet as well. This is a track where it’s very possible to overtake, so under the right circumstances, it’s feasible to make an aggressive strategy work.”
Unsurprisingly, the softest of the three, the red-walled C3, is the tyre of choice for all of the drivers. George Russell is the only driver who has opted to bring more than one set of hard white tyres to Belgium.
The Weather
I think I’ve mentioned it already, but in case I haven’t… the weather at Spa is regularly unpredictable. And when it rains there, it rains with intent! This weekend though, looks to be dry and cool (a lot cooler than the previous few races) with only a small possibility of rain on Raceday.
Some of F1’s most dramatic races have taken place at Spa courtesy of changeable weather, with Felipe Massa inheriting victory in 2008 after Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen scrapped for the lead as rain fell in the closing laps, while a wet start in 1998 saw one of the most expensive crashes in F1 history as the majority of the grid were caught in an incident on the run down from La Source.
Those two “shocking” weather related events, and three others, make the grade in this weeks’ “5 Shocking Moments from the Belgian Grand Prix”. (Spoiler – the only real shocking moment is the catastrophic 1998 race start, and event that Murray Walker described: “…this is terrible, this is quite appalling, this is the worst start for a Grand Prix that I have ever seen in the whole of my life.”
The Digital Program
Finally, we once again have the luxury of a free downloadable digital version of the Official Race Program to virtually page through between race sessions. Oh Danny Boy from Down Under makes the cover and the lead story this time around. The edition also includes stories focussing on some of the F1 legends that have conquered Spa in the past, and on the son of one of those legends, Mick Schumacher.
Get your copy right here: https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/b9fe9fea
And Finally
As a parting gift, take a look at this fantastic drone footage of the “Best Corner in the World – Eau Rouge”
Until next week in Italy, enjoy the race, geniet van de race, profiter de la course, and genieße das Rennen!
2019 Belgium F1 Grand Prix Preview
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Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Really, ALL ABOUT IT!
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And in other news…
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Brilliant. Now he can buy several more blingwagons with 23 inch rims to make up the difference.
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Or his private plane!
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Disgusting. He wants to make people sick so that he can get rich.
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