Formula 1 2018 - Round 13 – Belgium

Harika

Formula 1 2018 - Round 13 – Belgium

After the far too long summer break we are back racing. It’s Kimi’s preferred race and if Lewis wins he will have won there four times too. Vettel needs full points




All sessions on Sky F1, Channel4 and the Online Service
Friday August 24th Free Practice 1, 10:00-11.30
Friday August 24th, FP2, 14:00-15.30
Saturday August 25th, FP3, 11:00-12:00
Saturday August 25th, Qualifying, 14:00-15:00
Sunday August 26th, Race, 14.10-16.10


Spa is always unpredictable with weather, it looks like a drop in temperature with warmer and more sunshine on Sunday.

Predictions:
Hamilton wins
Kimi will challenge Vettel
TR will suffer
Angry Alonso rants

ayux4rj6zql2ph

A Ferrari 1-2 with Kimi leading only for team orders/strategy forcing him to surrender the win.

Hamilton for a DNF

Joeseph Balls

Sitting at home here,
Bag beside me, waiting for the lads to pick me up for the airport at 3.
First time at Spa, excitement setting in

Jordan 199

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Sitting at home here,
Bag beside me, waiting for the lads to pick me up for the airport at 3.
First time at Spa, excitement setting in

You can be our pitlane reporter for the weekend

skipper_G

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Sitting at home here,
Bag beside me, waiting for the lads to pick me up for the airport at 3.
First time at Spa, excitement setting in

I reckon I'm not alone when I say I'm jealous. Hope it's a good one, enjoy it!

Charlie-Bravo

It's been 10 years since I was there last. Well-jeal bud!!

Joeseph Balls

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Sitting at home here,
Bag beside me, waiting for the lads to pick me up for the airport at 3.
First time at Spa, excitement setting in

Nice one, staying at the track or a hotel?



Anyway, Ferrari need a clean win this weekend. This should be a straightforward win for them really.

Harika

Valtteri Bottas & Nico Hulkenberg will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to Power Unit penalties.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Harika wrote: »

Valtteri Bottas & Nico Hulkenberg will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to Power Unit penalties.

Hamilton on his own against the 2 Ferrari’s then. Should be good.

Jordan 199

Force India branding being removed from a trailer:

Charlie-Bravo

^^^ Ooh, interesting. This whole issue of whether they can race under a different name is going to be intriguing for the next couple of days.

Joeface

Spa weekend so far , Bottas from the back so some additional over taking included and may be 3 or 4 more for Nico Hulk included

Force India Name change , I would like if the kept the colours . I have gotten use to the Pink Panthers . As for the name what will they go for , Ramble Racing , Saunter Racing .... I am sure Stroll wants his name associated some way indirectly

Charlie-Bravo

I wouldn't be surprised if a fashion brand popped up as a key sponsor - Micheal Kors?

Cool_CM

astrofluff wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised if a fashion brand popped up as a key sponsor - Micheal Kors?

Durex Pleasuremax :-)

AMKC

Joeface wrote: »

Spa weekend so far , Bottas from the back so some additional over taking included and may be 3 or 4 more for Nico Hulk included

Force India Name change , I would like if the kept the colours . I have gotten use to the Pink Panthers . As for the name what will they go for , Ramble Racing , Saunter Racing .... I am sure Stroll wants his name associated some way indirectly

Well as has been posted on the other tread there new name is Racing Point Force India F1.

ELM327

AMKC wrote: »

Well as has been posted on the other tread there new name is Racing Point Force India F1.

I don't see why they have to keep the name since they are racing as a different entity.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

ELM327 wrote: »

I don't see why they have to keep the name since they are racing as a different entity.

I’m not sure an entire name change can be done mid season, I say this without knowing the full detail of the Concorde agreement.

Did Midland/Spiker change names in the late 2000’s mid season does anyone know?

Sauber were blocked from dropping the BMW name in 2010 as mentioned above.

ELM327

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

I’m not sure an entire name change can be done mid season, I say this without knowing the full detail of the Concorde agreement.

Did Midland/Spiker change names in the late 2000’s mid season does anyone know?

Sauber were blocked from dropping the BMW name in 2010 as mentioned above.

AFAIK it's permitted to add a new name as a title sponsor (which I think was how the midland/spyker change was done) without removing the end bit.
But I thought that only applied when racing as the same team and same entity. This is a new team with a new licence and is not a continuation of the previous Sahara Force India team. It does not get the prize money from last year or the points accumulated to date so should be treated as if any other organisation started up a team and got the license that was removed from the original force india.

I forgot about BMW Sauber Ferrari! What a moniker

kopite386

Lando Norris going fast than Stoffel Vandoorne while on harder compounds. I'd really like to see Lando racing next year.

kopite386

So is Danny Ric just not going to set a time ?

AMKC

kopite386 wrote: »

So is Danny Ric just not going to set a time ?

Its looks like he might get out for the last 10 minutes. Does anyone else think the team are upset, annoyed or angry with him saying mid season that he's leaving the team to go to Renault next year?

So Riccardo only got out for the last 5 minutes so only got to do one lap.

Ghost Train

Just watched the last few laps of Jordan winning in Belgium
Good times

AMKC

Kim currently leading fp3 with 15 minutes to go. It is very close between the top three drivers. I think qualifying is going to be very exciting and very close. Really hope this is Kimi,s weekend.

Vettel just ahead now by a couple of hundreds of a second.

AMKC

Stoffel Vandoorne nearly crashed into the side of Bottas. Session red flagged. Very strange incident. He did not touch him but did loose control of his car but kept it out of the barriers.

AMKC

Actually it looks like it was Val Bottas fault. He did not see Vandoorne and squeezed him out onto the grass.

skipper_G

AMKC wrote: »

Stoffel Vandoorne nearly crashed into the side of Bottas. Session red flagged. Very strange incident. He did not touch him but did loose control of his car but kept it out of the barriers.

Very strange indeed, looked like Bottas was on a slow lap and didn't know Vandoorne was there. He let Alonso through on the run down to eau rouge, could have been a miscommunication with his engineer. Regardless it was pretty messy, wouldn't surprise me to see Bottas with a penalty

AMKC

Session green flagged now.

AMKC

Gasly lost it coming out of the pits lol.

AMKC

skipper_G wrote: »

Very strange indeed, looked like Bottas was on a slow lap and didn't know Vandoorne was there. He let Alonso through on the run down to eau rouge, could have been a miscommunication with his engineer. Regardless it was pretty messy, wouldn't surprise me to see Bottas with a penalty

Agree I think he will. No excuse saying he did not see him. The team should have told him and he should have been checking his mirrors and known the Vandoorne was behind him and quiet close to him.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

skipper_G wrote: »

wouldn't surprise me to see Bottas with a penalty

The fact that Bottas starts from the back of the grid anyway makes any penalty for him worthless.

kksaints

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

The fact that Bottas starts from the back of the grid anyway makes any penalty for him worthless.

Could they carry the penalty over for the next race? Or do grid penalties for accidents only carry if it happens during the race?

Harika

kksaints wrote: »

Could they carry the penalty over for the next race? Or do grid penalties for accidents only carry if it happens during the race?

Could become pit lane start or just fine or stop and go in the race.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

kksaints wrote: »

Could they carry the penalty over for the next race? Or do grid penalties for accidents only carry if it happens during the race?

Only for his engine penalties this weekend they could have hit him with a grid drop for that incident.

Harika wrote: »

Could become pit lane start or just fine or stop and go in the race.

Pit lane start is effectively a free for all, change as many components as you like and being a Mercedes at Spa he won't have as much hassle going through the field as Monaco.

Stop/go in the race would be fair but unlikely.

Stop/Go penalties are very rare nowadays, Vettel being the most recent recipient in Azerbaijan 2017?

Joeseph Balls

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

The fact that Bottas starts from the back of the grid anyway makes any penalty for him worthless.

Happened just in front of me. Looked like bottas didn't see him. Bottas had a practice start a d it looked like the team let him out just in front of the McLarens as they were flying down home straight.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Happened just in front of me. Looked like bottas didn't see him. Bottas had a practice start a d it looked like the team let him out just in front of the McLarens as they were flying down home straight.

How are you finding the whole experience/country?

Joeseph Balls

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

How are you finding the whole experience/country?

Brilliant.
Tiring though. I walked around circuit de catalunya easy enough. Didn't attempt it here. Place is huge and hilly.
I never realised the height of Au Rouge. Jesus, it's massive.
Really enjoying myself. You really are out in the sticks

Jordan 199

Brilliant coverage on C4.

skipper_G

Harika wrote: »

Could become pit lane start or just fine or stop and go in the race.

Can they apply a stop/go penalty in the race for an incident which happened in another session? I didn't think that was possible

Glico Man

90% chance of rain during quali apparently.

Jordan 199

I love driving around Spa in Forza Motorsport 7 in different weather conditions.

Cool_CM

Glico Man wrote: »

90% chance of rain during quali apparently.

End of Q2 at the earliest, apparently - should be an interesting Q3 if it does come. Getting pissed on in that full-on thunderstorm during qualifying in Hungary was one of best experiences of my life!

skipper_G

Sainz out in Q1 is unexpected

Cool_CM

skipper_G wrote: »

Sainz out in Q1 is unexpected

Complaining of having no rear grip at all.

Montoya the only person smiling in the McLaren garage!

AMKC

Carlos Sainz out in Q1 is the big wow and it was Marcus Ericcson in the Sauber that knocked him out.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Vandoorne to be sacked after Monza?

Charlie-Bravo

Looking at the weather radar, there's patches of rain approaching from the northwest. It's not a huge amount but if it does arrive, it'll hit either turns 1 or 14/15 (Blanchimont) first.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

AMKC wrote: »

Carlos Sainz out in Q1 is the big wow and it was Marcus Ericcson in the Sauber that knocked him out.

Had it been Grosjean instead of Sainz it would have been very interesting :pac:

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Brilliant.
Tiring though. I walked around circuit de catalunya easy enough. Didn't attempt it here. Place is huge and hilly.
I never realised the height of Au Rouge. Jesus, it's massive.
Really enjoying myself. You really are out in the sticks

It's the one track i'd love to visit, but I've a fear of flying.

The TV pictures are nothing compared to the real thing in person?

It does look like it's in the middle of nowhere.

AMKC

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

Had it been Grosjean instead of Sainz it would have been very interesting :pac:

Grosjean seems to be just keeping the head down and having a good weekend so far. Hope he can keep doing that.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

AMKC wrote: »

Grosjean seems to be just keeping the head down and having a good weekend so far. Hope he can keep doing that.

He knows he needs 9 good races to save his seat.

AMKC

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

It's the one track i'd love to visit, but I've a fear of flying.

The TV pictures are nothing compared to the real thing in person?

It does look like it's in the middle of nowhere.

but I've a fear of flying.

Just get the boat to Britain then and drive or take the train the rest of the way.
Maybe make a weeks holiday out of it.