Formula 1 returns this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix after its annual summer break. Set in the Ardennes forest, Spa Francorchamps is arguably one of the most loved circuits on the calendar. High-speed turns like Eau Rouge, the beautiful scenery, and unpredictable weather add to its mystique. McLaren Honda go into Belgium with a new-spec power unit, which Honda refers to as the Mk 3, that Honda has spent some of its available development tokens on. Changes have been made to the following elements: combustion chamber, intake, exhaust layout and gear-train system. It is suggested that not all of these changes will be in the engine debuting at Spa but that the Mk 3 should offer power close to that of Ferrari’s engine, quite an achievement if realized. Along with added power comes the need to analyze its effect on the chassis and driving characteristics. Unfortunately, McLaren cannot do that until they get data with the new engine so car setup will not be optimized yet. Given the nature of Spa, the strengths/weaknesses of McLaren Honda’s package, and the limited data with the Mk 3 engine, a 7th or 8th place finish is probably realistic.
Elsewhere on the grid look for new manual start rules to expose a potential weakness at Mercedes. While both cars are still capable of winning we’ve seen recently that some of their success may have been attributed to their precisely-controlled starts. Looking to capitalize on that weakness are Vettel and Raikkonen of Ferrari. The Williams chassis has tended not to do as well in cool or wet conditions which could leave the door open for at least one of the Red Bull cars.
US TV SCHEDULE:
Practice, Friday August 21st, 8:00AM
EST
,
NBCSN
Qualifying, Saturday August 22nd, 12:30PM
NBCSN
Race, Sunday August 23rd, 7:30AM
EST
,
NBCSN
CIRCUIT
INFORMATION:
Lap data
Lap length: 7.004km (4.352 miles)
Race laps: 44
Race distance: 308.052km (191.415 miles)
Pole position: Right-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’47.263 (235.071 kph) by Sebastian Vettel, 2009
Fastest lap: 1’44.503 (241.279 kph) by Jarno Trulli, 2009
Maximum speed: 324kph (201.324 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Pit straight and Kemmel straight
Distance from grid to turn one: 265m
Car performance
Full throttle: 70%
Longest flat-out section: 2015m
Downforce level: Medium
Gear changes per lap: 45
Fuel use per lap: 2.2kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.088s
Strategy
Quickest complete pit stop in 2013: 22.444s by Ferrari
2014 prime tyre: Medium (2013: Hard)
2014 option tyre: Soft (2013: Medium)
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2014 (V6
TURBO
ERA
) RESULTS:
Race stats.
Laps: 44
Pole: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
Fast race lap: 1:50.511
Podium
1. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull-Renault
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Valtteri Bottas, Williams-Mercedes
CURRENT
STANDINGS:
Drivers
Lewis Hamilton, 202
Nico Rosberg, 181 (-21)
Sebastian Vettel, 160 (-42)
Constructors
Mercedes, 383
Ferrari, 236 (-147)
Williams, 151 (-232)
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