2018 FORMULA 1 JOHNNIE WALKER BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

[Big Kev]

2018 FORMULA 1 JOHNNIE WALKER BELGIAN GRAND PRIX



Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

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 (Sebastian Vettel, 2009)
Fastest lap 1’44.503 (Jarno Trulli, 2009, qualifying two)
Maximum speed 319.6kph (198.59 mph)
DRS zone/s (race) Pit straight and Kemmel straight
Distance from grid to turn one 271m
Full throttle 70%
Longest flat-out section 2015m
Downforce level Medium
Gear changes per lap 42
Fuel use per lap 2.39kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel 0.098s

UK Times
Friday 24th August 2018
Belgian Grand Prix Free Practice 1: 11:00-12:30 (UK time: 10:00-11:30)
Belgian Grand Prix Free Practice 2: 15:00-16:30 (UK time: 14:00-15:30)
Saturday 25th August 2018
Belgian Grand Prix Free Practice 3: 12:00-13:00 (UK time: 11:00-12:00)
Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying: 15:00 (UK time: 14:00)
Sunday 26th August 2018
Belgian Grand Prix: 15:10 (UK time: 14:10)

Previous Winners
2017 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Spa-Francorchamps
2016 Germany Nico Rosberg Mercedes
2015 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2014 Australia Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault
2013 Germany Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2012 United Kingdom Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
2011 Germany Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2010 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2009 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
2008 Brazil Felipe Massa Ferrari
2007 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
2006 Not held
2005 Finland Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes
2004 Finland Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes
2003 Not held
2002 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2001 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2000 Finland Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes


Videos

Various onboard


Hakkinen 2000 onboard



Facts from the last race
Lewis Hamilton already held the record for most Formula 1 victories in the Hungarian Grand Prix, so his 67th career victory, and sixth at the Hungaroring, served only to increase his record.

It was the 81st victory for Mercedes, which is now tied with Lotus for fourth-place on the list of most wins by team.

Hamilton took his sixth pole position at the Hungaroring, which leaves him one shy of Michael Schumacher’s record seven pole positions at the track.

The reigning world champion’s fifth win of the season means he goes into the summer break with a 24-point lead, which is the highest any driver has managed all season. But it’s a sign of how much closer this year’s title fight is than recent seasons that Hamilton’s tally of 213 points after 12 races is the lowest for a championship leader since 2012, when Fernando Alonso had 164 points after the first dozen rounds.

With 225 points available from the remaining nine rounds, the title can still be won by any driver in the field, including the point-less Sergey Sirotkin.

Sebastian Vettel had to settle for second place. This was his 106th podium finish, which means he is now level with Alain Prost in terms of both podiums, race wins (51) and world championships (four). Vettel’s 210 starts is 11 more than Prost made in his career.

Kimi Raikkonen started third and finished third for the third race in a row. Since his last win in the 2013 Australian Grand Prix he has now appeared on the podium 30 times – 14 more than the next-longest such streak.

In a similar vein, it’s now more than two years since Raikkonen failed to reach Q3 in a qualifying session, but he’s only taken one pole position during that time.

At a circuit where overtaking is notoriously tough, Daniel Ricciardo did well to climb from 12th on the grid to finish fourth. Nigel Mansell memorably won the 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix from that starting position and in 1994 Jos Verstappen, father of Ricciardo’s team mate Max, bagged his first podium finish from 12th.

There were no points for the younger Verstappen. Both Red Bull drivers have failed to score in four of the opening 12 races, which has wrecked their chances of getting into the championship fight.

Ricciardo also claimed the fastest lap of the race. This was the 13th of his career, putting him level with Jacky Ickx, Alan Jones and Riccardo Patrese. Red Bull have set the fastest lap in half of this year’s races so far.

McLaren had finished ‘best of the rest’ behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull at the Hungaroring for the last three years in a row, but it was Toro Rosso’s turn this year. Sixth place for Pierre Gasly is their second-best result at this track after Verstappen’s fourth place in 2015.

Finally, Marcus Ericsson managed to out-qualify Charles Leclerc for the first time in nine races. But Stoffel Vandoorne remains yet to out-qualifying Fernando Alonso, and gearbox failure snatched away his shot at a first points finish since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April.


Drivers’ Chosen Tyres


Championship Standings

[nutty]

As always, one of the best GP's of the year!.
Looks like rain for Saturday but low for Sunday!

[DarrenM]

Force India may not be able to race. This is the sort of situation Bernie would sort out behind the scenes. Wonder what Chase will do.

https://www.racefans.net/2018/08/22/leg ... rand-prix/

"At present Force India Limited holds the entry for Sahara Force India, but has no assets, while the Stroll consortium owns the hardware – including the cars – but has no entry. Unless this situation is resolved the team could be denied entry for this weekend’s grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps."

They've also removed the Sahara branding from their trucks etc.

[Big Kev]

Bob Fernley has left Force India with immediate effect following the team's takeover by a Lawrence Stroll-led consortium, Sky Sports understands.

[Big Kev]

Force India are allowed to race at Spa as the Racing Point Force India Team

They will lose all of their championship points but can score for the rest of the season

[KNAPPO]

Force India are allowed to race at Spa as the Racing Point Force India Team

Good news.

Now the race begins for Racing Point Force India to start racing for points.

[norbs]

Well that was interesting. The rain certainly shakes shit up. Who'd have picked that 2nd row?

[Dr. Pain]

Last night was like watching F1 on fast forward. They were so damn fast especially around Pouhon But it was a great quali. A bit of water in these beasts really makes them earn their cash.

[Big Kev]

The cameras caught Vettel and Ocon talking after qually

Vettel: Next year? Still nothing?
Ocon: No.
Vettel: Will you be here [at Force India]? No?
Ocon: No, no. The seat is taken.
Vettel: Oh yeah? Who?
Ocon: Have a guess - the one who bought it!
Vettel: Yes, but the other one?
Ocon: Well, the other one [Sergio Perez] brings money.

[w00dsy]

And Perez said he's signed a deal for next year. The talk is Haas. And Stroll is likely to be at Force India as of Monza. There's even talk of Ocon replacing Vandoorne at McLaren but he had a seat fitting and was too tall.

[Big Kev]

[DarrenM]

What a crazy start. 4 rear end hits in a couple hundred metres. Hulk into Alonso. Bottas into a Williams, someone into Dan who then hit Kimi.

[nutty]

Yeah crazy start, but a boring predicable race after that

[norbs]

So, thoughts on the Halo?

[KNAPPO]

Cool pic

[DarrenM]

Certainly did its job. Good chance the tyre would have smacked him in the head if it wasn't there

[norbs]

The F2 race was a cracker!

[w00dsy]

The F2 race was a cracker!

They almost always are. I'm enjoying that more than the F1's this year.

[Big Kev]

[Big Kev]

[KNAPPO]

[KNAPPO]

^ Didnt realise it at the time but how lucky is Riccardo here. The nose of the McLaren was airborne enough to not take off the left rear wheel and just the rear wing.

[nutty]

Hetic

[KNAPPO]

First time that 360 camera has been of any use.

[Big Kev]

Without the halo I think they'd class that as another near miss, I don't think it would have hit him. The tyre was going away from his head all the time. One of the reasons for looking in to it was that they'd had one a season for the last 20 years or something. I don't like it but I have to say I've gradually become immune to seeing it on the car.