2007 Belgian Grand Prix.

Knowlesy · 12 Sep 2007, 20:28 (Ref:2010473)

I suppose, this weekend, there will be rather more being talked about than a simple Grand Prix.

Tomorrow the Ferrari/McLaren shambles takes its latest and, perhaps, most decisive twist. If worst comes to worst the Belgian GP could be short of a top team and rendered rather hollow in the process.

Still, at least the circuit is a classic in every sense of the word. Spa-Francorchamps, many a drivers favourite, is back after another short exile and it has brought a new pit complex and some slightly hideous alterations to the surrounding corners along for the ride. Nothing too bad though - it's not as if they fiddled around with Pouhon or anything.

It may just be possible to enjoy this GP then. If you can peer through the politics, scandal and pretentiousness.

Do try to have a good one...

Current drivers championship standings

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points	Wins
1.	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	92	3
2.	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Mercedes	89	4
3.	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	74	3
4.	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	69	3
5.	Nick Heidfeld	BMW-Sauber	52	0
6.	Robert Kubica	BMW-Sauber	33	0
7.	Heikki Kovaleinen	Renault	21	0
8.	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	17	0
9.	Alexander Wurz	Williams-Toyota	13	0
10.	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	12	0
11.	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	8	0
11=	David Coulthard	Red Bull Renault	8	0
13.	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	7	0
14.	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	5	0
15.	Takuma Sato	Super Aguri-Honda	4	0
16.	Jenson Button	Honda	2	0
17.	Sebastien Vettel	BMW-Sauber	1	0

Current constructors championship standings

Pos.	Constructor	Points	Wins
1.	McLaren-Mercedes	(166*)	7
2.	Ferrari	143	6
3.	BMW-Sauber	86	0
4.	Renault	38	0
5.	Williams-Toyota	25	0
6.	Red Bull-Renault	16	0
7.	Toyota	12	0
8.	Super Aguri-Honda	4	0
9.	Honda	2	0
10	Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari	0	0
10=	Spyker-Ferrari	0	0

*McLaren's scores excluded

Belgian GP: recent history

2005 top eight finishers

Pos.	Driver	Team	Time/gap	Grid pos.
1.	Kimi Raikkonen	McLaren-Mercedes	1h30m1.295	2nd
2.	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+28.394	5th
3.	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	+32.077	9th
4.	Mark Webber	Williams-BMW	+1m9.167	10th
5.	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1m18.136	13th
6.	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber-Petronas	+1m27.435	14th
7.	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+1m27.574	6th
8.	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan-Toyota	+1 lap	19th

	Driver	Team	Laptime
2005 fastest lap	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	1m51.453
2005 pole position	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	1m46.391
Lap record	Kimi Raikkonen	McLaren-Mercedes	1m45.108 (set in 2004)

Other previous winners

Year	Driver	Team
2004	Kimi Raikkonen	McLaren-Mercedes
2002	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
2001	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
2000	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren-Mercedes
1999	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes
1998	Damon Hill	Jordan Mugen-Honda
1997	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
1996	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari

Circuit and race weekend information
Circuit map and timetable
Live timing
Event artwork
Official site

Desert the forum and go to the chat room.

See how useless your crystal ball is in the predictions competition.

Sodemo · 12 Sep 2007, 20:38 (Ref:2010479)

McLaren have undoubtedly improved their car in the last few weeks, but this circuit is said to favour the Ferrari's.

I think it will be a close battle, with Ferrari closer if not ahead of McLaren.

I hope we see a good battle between these two titans, that is of course, assuming McLaren will be allowed to take part in the Belgium GP...

Mr V · 12 Sep 2007, 21:40 (Ref:2010551)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sodemo

McLaren have undoubtedly improved their car in the last few weeks, but this circuit is said to favour the Ferrari's.

Monza was said to suit the Ferrari too

Knowlesy · 12 Sep 2007, 21:42 (Ref:2010552)

Monza was never going to suit Ferrari, it had kerbs!

The Ferrari should be far better round Spa. Fast sweepers are where it works best but there are corners that suit the Mac too. Both teams have run well there usually.

pottiella · 12 Sep 2007, 21:51 (Ref:2010565)

quite a sombre, but great intro knowlesy...pretty much the sentiment I'm feeling at the moment about the next few days.

What a dire period of Formula One.

oh and yes, Ferrari will be back on form I imagine..in fact I have them down as taking the win. They'll have a tougher time though than initial tests suggested, with recent developments at McLaren.

Lewis is the unknown quantity here...a spanner in the works again methinks.

Mr V · 12 Sep 2007, 21:56 (Ref:2010572)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Monza was never going to suit Ferrari, it had kerbs!

Well, i agree to a certain extent. But Monza isn't tight and twisty, which doesn't favour the Ferrari's at all (this season at least). That said, historically, the McLaren has always "rode the kerbs" better than the Ferrari's, but it didn't stop Michael winning there last season.

But back to Spa

.............

Red Bulldog · 12 Sep 2007, 22:00 (Ref:2010579)

I'm looking for Kubica to be mixing it up with the leaders.

Marbot · 12 Sep 2007, 23:19 (Ref:2010645)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Bulldog

I'm looking for Kubica to be mixing it up with the leaders.

No,I'm afraid that it'll be business as usual.......well almost.BMW could make it to second in the constructors championship depending on what happens today.

Weather not looking too good (meaning that it's probably not going to rain).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=4935

Dutton · 12 Sep 2007, 23:24 (Ref:2010647)

I don't think it is worth trying to predict the weather at Spa so far in advance.

JeremySmith · 13 Sep 2007, 01:02 (Ref:2010709)

Good one Knowlesy! I am not going to let anything spoil my enjoyment of the amazing Spa-Francorchamps circuit..Sure to be a close fight between Ferrari and McLaren...look out for BMW, they will go well here..

TSR · 13 Sep 2007, 01:14 (Ref:2010719)

I think that Kimi could upset the Mac attack this weekend.

Teretonga · 13 Sep 2007, 06:29 (Ref:2010806)

Look at the 2005 result... 8th from 19th on the grid.... That would be unusual in 2007! It shows how much has changed in 2 years.

Ralf's Girl · 13 Sep 2007, 09:51 (Ref:2010959)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

I am not going to let anything spoil my enjoyment of the amazing Spa-Francorchamps circuit..

Agreed - once they're on the track it really doesn't matter what's happening off it, I'm just going to enjoy the spectacle. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for rain, that always catches a few people out and throws up the possibility of a winner outside the championship leaders - I want to see somebody outside the top 4 win a race this season!

**chunterer** · 13 Sep 2007, 09:52 (Ref:2010960)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Look at the 2005 result... 8th from 19th on the grid.... That would be unusual in 2007! It shows how much has changed in 2 years.

That 8th placed finish mostly thanks to Pizzonia drop kicking Montoya out of a sure fire 2nd!!

This year I think Ferrari will win, and they'd better hope it's Raikkonen! Anything with a good engine ought to shine as well. That run from La Source up through Eau Rouge and on up the hill needs some serious torque.

KBM · 13 Sep 2007, 10:08 (Ref:2010975)

In his preview, Windsor implies that Hamilton's style suits Spa better than Alonso's, over a race distance. This will be a good test of his theories on driving styles.

pottiella · 13 Sep 2007, 11:16 (Ref:2011034)

I actually agree...that's what I've thought all along...even though there is no reference point for us to make a judgement on Lewis in F1 at Spa, I still think it's advantage Lewis this weekend over Alonso.

Sodemo · 13 Sep 2007, 11:43 (Ref:2011062)

I'm not all that keen on the changes to the track, and I really don't understand why there is now a massive car park run off at the exit of La Source.

I also hope they have done something to stop cars skipping over the kerbs, cutting the track.
When the FIA GT's were there, most of the cars were missing the final part of Eau Rouge and cutting over the tarmac run off at Radillion. The same went for the "new" Bus Stop exit kerb, there was just tarmac to the right of it, and people were just running out metres wider than they should have been.

Hesketh · 13 Sep 2007, 13:26 (Ref:2011169)

My desire is to see a fifth driver to win a race before the end of the season. Spa can be very unpredicatble. Look forward a heavy rain race where an outsider emerges on top. Kovalainen or Wurz would be nice.

I know...I know...daydreaming

BootsOntheSide · 13 Sep 2007, 17:08 (Ref:2011425)

Wurz already has far more points than he deserves this year. Nico would be a much more deserving race winner, as would Kovalainen or one of the BMW guys.

If McLaren are ruled out, the whole hting could be quite dull and soured.

**chunterer** · 13 Sep 2007, 19:14 (Ref:2011696)

I also think it will be nice just to see Alonso win one of his last races as a McLaren driver....

Teretonga · 13 Sep 2007, 19:26 (Ref:2011716)

Quote:

Posted by BootsOntheSide

Wurz already has far more points than he deserves this year.

Maybe he is better than we give him credit for and he deserves MORE points than he has scored so far this year...

Sodemo · 13 Sep 2007, 21:17 (Ref:2011935)

Is there still a Grand Prix this weekend?

mjstallard · 13 Sep 2007, 22:17 (Ref:2012016)

Trying to focus on the actual real business of racing, Spa should be interesting.

With it not being held last year, I'm not sure how the Super Aguri will do around here but I'm looking to see Ant continue his good run.

Fisi is under pressure to save his career (if at all possible now), so perhaps he'll bang in one of his famous super-duper qualifying laps we haven't seen for a while..

And it'll be interesting to see if the new Spyker chassis is any better this time out.

What's the use. I can't get excited about this weekend in all honesty.

Dutton · 13 Sep 2007, 22:27 (Ref:2012022)

I am going to have to use SpeedTV as my main feed this weekend. They like to stick the boot into Ferrari at the best of times, so they will doubtless have much fun this weekend.

**Bononi** · 14 Sep 2007, 00:46 (Ref:2012131)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

I also think it will be nice just to see Alonso win one of his last races as a McLaren driver....

Chuntz... do you wanna bet ?

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