The Tintin Grand Prix of Belgium

[myownalias]

Bottom post of the previous page:

I think that people moan because, generally, as a race of people, we are opposed to change, it was the same when we moved from V8s to the current V6T Hybrid formula, but in reality, performance was actually better, even if we lost the V8 sound. Now, we don't really hear anyone talk about the engine formula change anymore because we got used to it. It's the same with the halo, we all hated it at first, but over time, we got used to it and it still looks ugly, but we accept it, no longer really talking about it, until something like this happens.

[caneparo]

I love this english italian mix by vettel.” Che cazzo fai?!?”

[PTRACER]

I think that people moan because, generally, as a race of people, we are opposed to change, it was the same when we moved from V8s to the current V6T Hybrid formula, but in reality, performance was actually better, even if we lost the V8 sound. Now, we don't really hear anyone talk about the engine formula change anymore because we got used to it. It's the same with the halo, we all hated it at first, but over time, we got used to it and it still looks ugly, but we accept it, no longer really talking about it, until something like this happens.

We still talk about and hate DRS. I was so bored during Spa watching them zoom by on the straight with no effort.

I think you’re right though about the halo, as much as I hate to admit it. The ‘device’ does stick up and away from the cockpit quite far, so I don’t think Alonso’s wheel would have hit him on the head at all, but it sure was close. Alonso pretty much rode over the top of Kimi’s cockpit in Austria a few years ago too, and then there was Wurz and Coulthard at Melbourne a decade or so ago. The halo would have definitely taken a hit in both of those cases, although I also reckon the drivers would have ended up with a bunch of broken carbon fibre in their laps.

Right now, all I’m waiting for is a rollover incident, then we’ll have a few things to say about the halo I’m sure.

[Mawerick]

Ferrari was completely clueless about the damage to Kimi's car...

[myownalias]

Fashionably late, but here are my thoughts on the Belgian Grand Prix 2018

The second half of the 2018 Formula 1 season started with a whimper, the only bang was Fernando Alonso’s McLaren banging on the top of Sauber driver, Charles LeClerc’s HALO. But, we can take some positives from the race, Ferrari looks to be a match for Mercedes in terms of speed and handling, so we could be on for a real title fight to the end of the season, barring any Ferrari ‘tactical’ errors.

Speaking of Ferrari ‘tactical’ errors, seriously, why the hell did the Maranello based team not have Kimi Raikkonen on track in the last three minutes of qualifying? The last-minute shuffle in a rain-hit qualifying session cost Ferrari and Raikkonen dear, starting from the third row instead of the first or second row.

The start of the race was spectacular, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg got his braking all wrong into La Source, rear-ending Alonso’s McLaren, which in turn went flying over the top of LeClerc’s Sauber, knocking off Daniel Ricciardo’s rear wing in the process, which caused Ricciardo to puncture Raikkonen’s right rear tire. This incident caused a safety car period, but before the SC was on track, Sebastian Vettel got better drive out of Raidillon, getting alongside pole sitter Hamilton to make the pass for the lead into Les Combes.

The first corner incident resulted in five drivers being out of the race, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and LeClerc were immediately out, with Ricciardo and Raikkonen out of the race later due to damage sustained in the incident. Although I think that Red Bull elected to save the power unit as Ricciardo was trundling around at the back almost two laps down, due to the time it took to replace his rear wing in the pit garage.

Then snoredom kicked in as the race died on its arse, the only upsides were Valtteri Bottas recovering to 4th from the back of the grid after taking some pain for a power unit change and Max Verstappen battling to 3rd place, passing the new entry, Racing Point Force India duo, who took advantage of Ferrari and Red Bull sleeping in qualifying, making it an all pink second row on the grid. Hamilton never looked like he could challenge the Ferrari of Vettel, eventually settling for 2nd place and 18 points, minimizing the pain.

When you go to Spa Francorchamps and the racing is this dull, questions have to be asked. The DRS zone down the Kemmel Straight made overtakes like a highway pass, the pass was done way before the corner, with the overtaking car back on the racing line before the braking zone. I would give the Belgian GP 2018 a 4/10 and that’s being generous, Bottas’ and Verstappen’s overtakes made in bearable.

It could have been more interesting if we had Danny Ric and the Iceman in the mix, but Red Bull and Ferrari took the pain of DNF’s because they stayed in the pits while others were out on a drying track in qualifying 3, bettering their times, putting them in harms way when kamikaze pilot Hulkenberg launched himself into the pack at turn 1. But, we have to give credit to Hulkenberg for holding his hands up and squarely taking the blame earning himself a 10 place grid drop for Monza this upcoming weekend.

The gap between Hamilton and Vettel in the drivers championship has been reduced to 17 points, but due to Ferrari’s brain fade in Q3, Ferrari fall a further five points adrift in the constructors championship.

Link: http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk/formula-1 ... 18-review/

[PTRACER]

Good summary tbh, pretty much how I feel too.

[Antonov]

I hadnt really considered it, but you are right.
Had Ferrari not messed up Kimi's qualifying, he would not have been part of the crash - and could have made it a Ferrari one two.

[Tom]

Even with 20 cars on that track it'd have been a snooze. The DRS zone analysis in that write up is spot on. A riskier DRS zone may have been through Blanchimont to the Bus Stop, but it would have at least stopped the DRS passing from being just highway style overtakes.

As pretty as it is, Spa is just not set up for overtaking for the current F1 crop.

I do not have access to the support races anymore but when I did have access to them they often put the F1 boys to shame here in terms of on track action. Same with Monza, the support races were often mental and the F1 race a 70 minute procession.

[MonteCristo]

Ferrari was completely clueless about the damage to Kimi's car...

The blind lead the blind there. Jesus.

[myownalias]

I do not have access to the support races anymore but when I did have access to them they often put the F1 boys to shame here in terms of on track action. Same with Monza, the support races were often mental and the F1 race a 70 minute procession.

The lower formulas do offer a better racing spectacle than F1 does, it's sad that the pinnacle of motorsport is as dull as dishwater today. It's not the amount of overtakes that is the problem, it's the style of overtakes, I want to see cars slipstreaming, going wheel to wheel into the corners, with the last of the late brakers winning out.

[Antonov]

Ferrari was completely clueless about the damage to Kimi's car...

The blind lead the blind there. Jesus.

If ever you doubted there was a #1 driver at Ferrari, then this is your proof.

[erwin greven]

I do not have access to the support races anymore but when I did have access to them they often put the F1 boys to shame here in terms of on track action. Same with Monza, the support races were often mental and the F1 race a 70 minute procession.

The lower formulas do offer a better racing spectacle than F1 does, it's sad that the pinnacle of motorsport is as dull as dishwater today. It's not the amount of overtakes that is the problem, it's the style of overtakes, I want to see cars slipstreaming, going wheel to wheel into the corners, with the last of the late brakers winning out.

The essential difference between F1 and F2 is: F1 10 teams - 10 different chassis. F2 10 teams - 1 chassis.

Looks simple, but just look how easily Ferrari's, Mercedes and sometimes RBR slice through the field. They are essentially the fastest 3 teams and the DRS does the rest.

[myownalias]

I'm all for having a spec series if it provides better racing overall; I know this is not a popular view, but F1 is almost a spec series anyway with strictly regulated engines and tires and max fuel loads. Clearly, F1 has lost its way over the years and the solutions have been technological ones, such as DRS, KERS, fast degrading tires etc, the only way I can see for F1 to regain its crown as the pinnacle of motorsport, would be to reduce the reliance of aero, creating cleaner air, so cars can follow closer, slipstream and pass on the brakes.

[John]

The Kemmel straight is a place where we really don't need DRS anyway. There were multiple times where a driver would overtake into La Source only to be a sitting duck down the Kemmel straight. With all the other gizmos on these cars, such as charging up the battery to give an extra boost, they could well scrap the DRS on that insanely long straight and let the drivers fight it out using the draft.

[Tom]

The Kemmel straight is a place where we really don't need DRS anyway. There were multiple times where a driver would overtake into La Source only to be a sitting duck down the Kemmel straight. With all the other gizmos on these cars, such as charging up the battery to give an extra boost, they could well scrap the DRS on that insanely long straight and let the drivers fight it out using the draft.