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Old 24 Aug 2018, 07:17 (Ref:3845696)   #1
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Belgian Grand Prix 2018: Grand Prix Weekend Thread

‘Spa’, as it is commonly shortened to, despite being much closer to the town of Francorchamps, is set in the Ardennes Forest and its first Grand Prix was held in 1924. Until 1970, it was run on a fearsome, much longer incarnation of the circuit (14.9km at its maximum length) than the contemporary one, which at 7km, is still the longest. It used to consist of many fast public roads which stretched down to the villages of Malmedy and Stavelot before eventually rejoining what we have today and had monster fast straights. The notorious Masta Kink straddled two straights between Malmedy and Stavelot.

In 2018, Spa still features many glorious corners which follow the natural order of the land. It is a track that delights in having Formula 1 cars driven on it. Because of the topography, the majority of the corners just feel right, like that is the way the track is supposed to go. It doesn’t feel designed by anyone but by Spa-Francorchamps itself. This sense of a natural track is compounded by the forces of nature. The element of the weather can add a total twist in the ark of the race by means of rain showers which come out of the blue. The microclimate of this part of the Ardennes means that one moment it is sunny and the next, ominous clouds have swept in and they are pouring, sometimes in only one area. A vital decision to pit or to not pit on a seven-kilometre layout can turn a race here on its head.

Turns here are not merely numbers, but have names, evocative ones too, such that they call to mind images of the cars and drivers taking on the challenge.

Turn 1 is La Source. A tricky hairpin, it opens quite wide on the exit and allows for plenty of jostling on the opening lap (and DRS Detection Zone 1 on later ones) as the drivers set themselves up for Turns 2 to 4, the Eau-Rouge – Raidillon combination. Eau Rouge is actually the brief left at the bottom of the hill before the slight right, Raidillon, which climbs to the top and goes further than the eye can see from when you are entering the curve. There is a left as the drivers go over the brow and try to tame the car, gently balancing out any danger and keeping forward motion for the Kemmel Straight. These corners are spectacular to watch in person, where the steepness becomes apparent in a way that is not always the case on television.

The Kemmel Straight is the longest one and features DRS Activation Zone 1. It leads drivers to the magnificent right-left-right Les Combes complex (Turns 5 to 7). Whilst Eau Rouge and Raidillon are a pure thrill, it is these corners that begin to remind you that much of the joy of this track is in just how good the more conventional corners are. It’s a right-left chicane followed by ninety-right with a less angled entry and looks superb to drive. This is where the drivers will really be starting to enjoy the flow. Overtaking opportunities also abound into Turn 5.

The drivers plunge downhill into Bruxelles, which is Turn 8. Perhaps because of the relatively short distance between Les Combes and Bruxelles, it somehow invites drivers to dare to brake late, but it’s a risky thing, easy to put a wheel off and in any event, not so easy to gather traction on the exit.

A quick left takes the drivers 90 degrees through Turn 9 before they approach Pouhon (Turns 10 and 11). A relentless left-hander, this is many drivers’ favourite section. Whereas Raidillon is easier to take flat than it once was, Pouhon is more of a case of fine throttle feathering, a lift usually necessary. The track is so fun by this point that it is difficult for drivers to want to remove any speed, instead seeking to be really fast and ready to barrel through Turn 12 and then slow it down a bit more for 13, Campus.

Turn 14 is Stavelot, a right-hander which sets up the drivers for 15, The Courbe Paul-Frère. It’s crucial to carry as much as speed as possible through here, because they’re now not braking again until the final corners. The left-hand sweeper of Blanchimont (Turn 16) is followed by a slightly tighter one at 17.

Hard braking is called for into the right-left Bus Stop Chicane (Turns 18 and 19), just before which there is the second DRS Detection Zone (activation is on the start-finish straight). It is easy to fumble it through here.

Circuit length: 7.004km
Number of laps: 44
Race distance: 308.052km
Dry weather tyre compounds: Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Soft

DRS Detection Zone 1: between Turn 1 and Turn 2 (La Source and Eau Rouge)
DRS Activation Zone 1: between Turn 4 and Turn 5 (on the Kemmel Straight before Les Combes)
DRS Detection Zone 2: just before Turn 18 (Bus Stop Chicane)
DRS Activation Zone 2: Start-finish straight
Speed Trap: Just after Turn 4 (Raidillon)

Lap Record: 1:46.577 (2009 – Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari)
First Grand Prix: 1925
First World Championship Grand Prix: 1950
First Grand Prix on current layout: 1983

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Old 24 Aug 2018, 10:20 (Ref:3845724)   #2
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Thanks for the great intro BR, much appreciated and seldom acknowledged!

Best circuit of the year imo, perhaps not the best racing action, but by far the best circuit.

Will never forget Villeneuve jnr. and Zonta egging one another on to take Eau-Rouge flat. Didn't end well in those days, but you have to admire the internal fortitude! Propper racing drivers!
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 10:41 (Ref:3845728)   #3
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Good first practice session. Norris did alright in his first drive in an F1 car on a GP weekend. Ricciardo, only had time for one lap, but good enough for sixth. Shows how much further ahead the top three teams are from the rest
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 12:42 (Ref:3845768)   #4
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Cheers BR. Great intro..
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 13:20 (Ref:3845779)   #5
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Hooray! Back to racing and at Spa as well!

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Old 24 Aug 2018, 15:18 (Ref:3845804)   #6
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Spa. Mmmmmmm.

Go Kimi
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 15:18 (Ref:3845805)   #7
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great intro!

Ferrari race poster is particularly nice.



more variations on a theme from Renault but still cool.



again sorry if this is causing resizing issues on your browser.
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 15:22 (Ref:3845807)   #8
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Thanks for the massive photos

Good to see decent lap times from Force India in both sessions.
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 15:32 (Ref:3845813)   #9
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Thanks for the massive photos
haha, you're welcome.
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 17:27 (Ref:3845833)   #10
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wolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridwolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridwolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridwolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
Interesting that the team that became Force India was also making all the headlines at Spa 20 years ago.
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 18:44 (Ref:3845844)   #11
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Interesting that the team that became Force India was also making all the headlines at Spa 20 years ago.
good memory!

remember the first corner incident and Hill's last win but forgot the year.

dont want to see an accident like that again but it would really be something if this new team could sneak a win or a podium in somehow!
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Old 24 Aug 2018, 21:00 (Ref:3845873)   #12
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wolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridwolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridwolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridwolfhound should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
I wonder will EJ be on the C4 panel this weekend for his thoughts?
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 04:54 (Ref:3845915)   #13
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I wonder will EJ be on the C4 panel this weekend for his thoughts?
Eddie speaks about 1998 HERE.


Not respectful behaviour by big brother towards the guy that gave him his initial chance in Formula 1.



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Old 25 Aug 2018, 05:10 (Ref:3845916)   #14
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mstets should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Thinking that Ferrari poster grossly overestimates the elevation change but it looks cool.



Great to have a couple of traditional circuits left on the schedule. Must be a huge undertaking to update old circuits to current safety standards. What circuits meet current standards but are not in use? Thinking of older circuits, not Indy, etc.
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 05:14 (Ref:3845917)   #15
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You get the best view of elevation change at La Source, it is sooooo steep going down to the bottom of Eau Rouge. The TV doesn't do it justice.

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Old 25 Aug 2018, 14:12 (Ref:3845995)   #16
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Hamilton once again lucky with the rain. I can never understand why people like rain so much, it pretty much always ruins it.
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 15:06 (Ref:3846001)   #17
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Lucky?
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 15:32 (Ref:3846008)   #18
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What a Q3, shame both RBRs and Kimi didn’t have enough fuel for the end, would have been great to see all 10 out there at the end. Anyway great job by the Force Indias, but once again Kimi, so close, yet still no pole. What has he got to do?
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 15:40 (Ref:3846011)   #19
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Lucky?
My thoughts exactly.
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 17:13 (Ref:3846025)   #20
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Nope. I didn't see any luck there at all. He just did it better than anyone else. Great to have the rain. I hope it chucks it down tomorrow. Best chance of avoiding another procession.
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 17:15 (Ref:3846026)   #21
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Lucky?
Indeed. Without rain pole would have been very much more difficult.
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 17:25 (Ref:3846031)   #22
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Possibly. But it does rain sometimes and they have to drive in it. And Hamilton did better than the rest. If it throws it down all race tomorrow and Hamilton wins from lights to flag, will he be lucky because it wasn't dry.....?
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 17:48 (Ref:3846033)   #23
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Indeed. Without rain pole would have been very much more difficult.
But of course the wonderful thing is- we’ll never actually know.....
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 19:22 (Ref:3846042)   #24
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Eau Rouge...Yes..It's a 1 in 4 slope..As Martin Brundle said "It's a work out just walking up it"
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Old 25 Aug 2018, 19:55 (Ref:3846044)   #25
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Great intro as ever.

I completely missed qualifying but on seeing the results I was amazed by how well Race Point Force India did, 3rd and 4th for Ocon and Perez, respectively.
They have improved after the summer break but it looks like RBR are still on theirs, with Verstappen 7th and Ricciardo 8th. Looking forward to seeing how the championship battle plays out. Is rain expected tomorrow?
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