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The Belgian Grand Prix saw the Formula 1 season restart with a bang after the summer break as Lewis Hamilton got the win holding off his main title rival, there was disappointment too as Max Verstappen retired again for Red Bull and the Force India duo made the news for the wrong reasons again as they tangled one more time.

So who were the winners and losers around the iconic Spa-Francorchamps?

Biggest Winner:

Lewis Hamilton:

The Briton had pretty much the perfect weekend not only setting a new track record to claim pole in qualifying, equaling Michael Schumacher’s record for the most poles in history in the process but then the triple world champion would manage a controlled, error free race to grab the win.

Hamilton would keep his main title rival, Sebastian Vettel at bay, despite the German trying to put the Mercedes under constant pressure, keeping composure to grab the win and most importantly close the championship gap to the top for just seven points.

Winners:

Daniel Ricciardo:

Once again this season, the Australian kept his head down as Red Bull didn't have the pace to stay with the top two teams early on, but when he found an opportunity to move up, following the Safety Car after the Force India collision, he made the best of it, grabbing third with an excellent move on Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes at the restart and earned himself to a sixth podium finish this season.

Nico Hulkenberg:

The Renault driver had a bad start to his weekend, unable to match his teammate's pace in practice and qualifying, but when it mattered Hulkenberg was there to score an excellent sixth place as it all kicked off around him.

He came out on top in an interesting battle with Fernando Alonso early, passing him initially into the Bus Stop before being re-passed but eventually getting the job done on Lap 3. From that moment on, it was about control and when Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon decided to clash, he was assured of finishing ‘best of the rest’ once again.

Felipe Massa:

The Brazilian veteran returned to the cockpit after missing the Hungarian Grand Prix and with the late dip in form for the Williams team, Massa was only able to qualify sixteenth. He would use his experience, however, and brought his car into the points crossing the finish line a well-deserved eighth.

Biggest Loser:

Max Verstappen:

The Belgian Grand Prix was basically a home race for the young Dutchman, with an estimated 80,000 of his countryman making the trip to Spa. For the second straight year, however, things did not go the way he wished.

Verstappen was forced to retire for the sixth this season, a finishing rate of just 50 percent and once again it was an engine failure that saw his demise. To see his teammate score the same number of podiums as he has finishes only added insult to injury.

Particularly as, the way the race developed, he might have well been the driver with the chance for that third place finish.

Losers:

Valtteri Bottas:

On the weekend the championship seemingly became a two-horse race, it was a disappointing weekend for Bottas. The Finn looked to have secured third position following Raikkonen's penalty, a result that might have still kept him in touch if trouble struck in front.

However, his race was flipped following the Safety Car restart as Bottas could not keep Ricciardo and then Raikkonen from overtaking him into Les Combes and forcing him back to fifth, costing him major championship points. Now 41 points behind Vettel and 34 off his teammate, it would be justifiable for Mercedes to put their eggs in the Hamilton basket.

Force India:

One of the major subplots of the race, the Force India garage could only watch as their drivers made contact not once but twice at Spa, the second costing them major points as Perez was forced to retire with Ocon demoted to ninth.

The team had been clear about letting their drivers’ race despite previous incidents but after this one, it seems team orders will start interfering from now on to ensure the team does not drop valuable point once again and to ensure the safety of both drivers.

The team is in fourth position in the Constructors’ Championship and only lost two of the 60 points they held over Williams, but with yet another failure for Max Verstappen, you have to wonder just how close they would be to Red Bull in third without these silly moments.

Fernando Alonso:

Another race and another disappointment for the double world champion as his McLaren failed to reach the finish line but this time in controversial circumstances. Alonso just missed a spot in Q3 being dropped out by Hulkenberg in the final seconds but started 10th benefiting of the penalty drop for Jolyon Palmer.

The Spaniard then made the perfect start making up positions and getting involved in a nice duel with Hulkenberg for seventh position, keeping the fans entertained. From that point on it was only bad as he fell down the order due to the lack of power from his Honda engine. It was a matter of just a few laps before he was back outside of the top 10.

It was a matter of just a few laps before he was back outside of the top 10 and just after the halfway mark, Alonso was called to the pits to retire his car to add to his list of DNFs and disappointments, only Honda has subsequently claimed nothing was actually wrong...

 

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After a summer break that has seemingly swept by in a flash, the Formula 1 season jumps back into life this weekend with one of the most highly anticipated races of the year, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

There really is no better place for the teams and drivers to get back at work than at the iconic seven-kilometre (4.3-mile) stretch of tarmac that is one of the holy grails in all Motorsport and features some of the greatest corners anywhere in the world.

This year there is an even greater buzz as F1 makes the pilgrimage to the Ardennes with a championship battle between two goliaths entering the crucial stage of the year where every twist and turn could prove vital. 

Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel go to Spa with the lead and the momentum following a commanding victory in Hungary last month which gave the German a 14-point lead to take into the final nine races. 

Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton are far from out of it, however, with the general consensus heading to Belgium and for the rest of the year that the development race and the car's main strengths could be too much for the Scuderia to keep up with both this weekend and as the season draws to a close. 

One big factor against the Briton is his teammate Valtteri Bottas who's consistency has kept him hanging on to the two men with a combined seven world titles. For as long as he does remain in touch, that puts pressure on Toto Wolff and Mercedes to keep a fair fight and potentially cost Hamilton critical points, as we saw in Budapest.

As for Vettel, he doesn't have that problem with Kimi Raikkonen signed up for another year at Maranello and surely ready to support his teammate against the Silver Arrows.

With its long straights and fast sweeping corners, Spa is expected to suit Mercedes and if their form is anything like it was in Silverstone, Ferrari will have to hope the famously unpredictable weather or the tyres to help them stay in touch.

That could well be the case too, as Pirelli bring the Ultrasoft compound to this race for the first time. The lateral degradation through corners like Eau Rouge and Pouhon plus the thermal deg on the long straights will make tyre wear a crucial factor and it's in this area that the Italian team could just upset the form book.

The unknown quantity this weekend is Red Bull who, despite their Renault engine deficit, have had success before at Spa previously by invoking the same tactic they used in Baku which was to run less downforce than their rivals to optimise top speed down the Kemmel Straight.

With more drag on this year's cars, the effect of a slipperier car could be even greater and if the Milton Keynes outfit can balance top speed with grip in the middle sector, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, who enjoys his de facto home race at Spa, could very well spoil the party.

Also looking to pounce is Force India who had a quieter period of races before the summer break but still maintained their remarkable points scoring run. Known as Spa specialists, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon will look to finish as the top midfield team for the first time since Canada and could set their target even higher if another crazy race ensues.

Williams too need a big weekend after scoring just four points in the last three races. That has seen them drop 60 points behind Force India in the battle for fourth in the Constructors' Championship and with a best result of ninth since Lance Stroll's podium in Baku, the Grove team are desperate for momentum at the next two races which should suit the FW40.

Haas can expect a better weekend too in the midfield as a good all-round car means they could well fight with Force India and Williams for the final top 10 places. Like Williams, the American team has struggled having not scored since Kevin Magnussen's sixth place in Austria and will want to improve on seventh in the current teams' standings. 

Renault, Toro Rosso and McLaren all face the same dilemma, how to make up for a power deficit. The Red Bull trick of less downforce will probably be their route but with tyres set to be a key part this weekend, a good strategy will be key, as could the weather.

Finally, Sauber will round out the grid as the lack of development on their year-old Ferrari engine really starts to hurt. More car upgrades will help but they are relying on a Baku-style race for points between now and the end of the season.

 

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To accommodate Grand Prix motor racing, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps race course was built in 1921 but it was only used for motorcycle racing until 1924.

Since inception, Spa-Francorchamps has been known for its unpredictable weather. At one stage in its history it had rained at the Belgian Grand Prix for twenty years in a row. Frequently drivers confront a part of the course that is clear and bright while another stretch is rainy and slippery.

It is one of the most popular races on the Formula One calendar, due to the scenic and historical Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Belgian Prix, Round 12 of the 2017 Formula 1 season

Circuit Name: Spa-Francorchamps

Race Laps: 44

Circuit Length: 7.004 km (4.352 mi)

Race Length: 308.052 km (191.410 mi)

Number of corners: 19 (10 Left, 9 Right)

DRS Zone: Two Zones (zone 1 Between turn 4 and 5, Zone 2 Start/Finish Line Between Turn 19 and 1)

Circuit Direction: Clockwise

Pole Position 2016: Nico Rosberg - Mercedes 1:46.744

Lap record: Sebastian Vettel 2009 – Red Bull Renault 1:47.263

Ultimate lap record: Jarno Trulli Q2 2009 – Toyota 1:44.503

Distance from Pole to T1 apex: 270.8 m

Pole position side: Left

Pit Lane length under speed limit control: 385.7 m

Drive-through time at 80 km/h: 17.36 s

Lap time at full throttle: 57 %

Lap distance at full throttle: 70 %

Gear changes per lap: 42

Braking events (>2G): 6

Heavy braking events (<0.4s @ >4G): 4

Fuel consumption: Low

Maximum lateral G-force: 4.8 G

Track evolution (P1 – Qualifying): Low

Key overtaking opportunities: T5

Race lap record: 1:47.263 (VET, 2009)

Absolute lap record: 1:44.503 (TRU, Q2, 2009)

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

 

Pirelli used compounds

Tyres that must be available (one of them to be used) at some point in the race:

One set of P Zero Yellow soft

One set of P Zero Red Super-Soft

Tyres assigned for Q3 in qualifying:                     

One set of P Zero Purple Ultra-Soft

Teams/Drivers compounds choice

Driver

Soft

Super-Soft

Ultra-Soft

Lewis Hamilton

4

3

6

Valtteri Bottas

3

4

6

Daniel Ricciardo

1

3

9

Max Verstappen

1

3

9

Sebastian Vettel

3

3

7

Kimi Raikkonen

3

3

7

Sergio Perez

3

4

6

Esteban Ocon

3

4

6

Lance Stroll

1

5

7

Felipe Massa

1

5

7

Stoffel Vandoorne

1

3

9

Fernando Alonso

1

3

9

Daniil Kvyat

2

3

8

Carlos Sainz

2

3

8

Romain Grosjean

3

4

6

Kevin Magnussen

4

3

6

Nico Hulkenberg

2

3

8

Jolyon Palmer

3

3

8

Marcus Ericsson

2

4

7

Pascal Wehrlein

3

3

7

 

THE CIRCUIT FROM A TYRE POINT OF VIEW:

  • Longest circuit of the year at 7.004 kilometres.
  • Geographical layout means it can be raining on one part of the track but dry on another.
  • Elevation changes and compressions generate forces on tyres from all directions.
  • Compromise set-up needed to provide downforce in corners but not too much drag.
  • High speeds and big corners place significant energy loads through the tyres.
  • Overtaking is very possible at Spa, opening the door to a variety of different strategies.
  • The teams have nominated all three available compounds in their choices rather than concentrating on the softer tyres.

 

MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR RACING

“Pirelli was racing at Spa for the 24 Hours last month, which showcased everything this circuit is famous for: changeable weather, unpredictable competition, and heavy demands on the tyres. Now that we are bringing the ultrasoft tyre there for Formula 1, we would expect those demands to increase further with the latest generation of cars: two stops would appear to be a likely strategy but we will know more after the first free practice sessions. Working out the optimal race strategy is especially tricky at Spa as it has to be flexible: the possibility of rain, safety cars, or even a red flag – as we saw last year – means that teams often have to react to changing circumstances rather than follow a fixed plan”.

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS MINIMUM STARTING PRESSURES (SLICKS)

 

EOS  CAMBER LIMIT

Belgian Grand Prix Winners 1950 – 2016

 

Year

Driver

Constructor

Location

2016

Nico Rosberg

Mercedes

Spa-Francorchamps

2014

Daniel Ricciardo

Red Bull-Renault

2013

Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull-Renault

2012

Jenson Button

McLaren-Mercedes

2011

Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull-Renault

2010

Lewis Hamilton

McLaren-Mercedes

2009

Kimi Raikkonen

Ferrari

2008

Felipe Massa

Ferrari

2007

Kimi Raikkonen

Ferrari

2006

Not held

2005

Kimi Raikkonen

McLaren-Mercedes

Spa-Francorchamps

2004

Kimi Raikkonen

McLaren-Mercedes

2003

Not held

2002

Michael Schumacher

Ferrari

Spa-Francorchamps

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

1995

Michael Schumacher

Benetton-Renault

1994

Damon Hill

Williams-Renault

1993

Damon Hill

Williams-Renault

1992

Michael Schumacher

Benetton-Ford

1991

Ayrton Senna

McLaren-Honda

1990

Ayrton Senna

McLaren-Honda

1989

Ayrton Senna

McLaren-Honda

1988

Ayrton Senna

McLaren-Honda

1987

Alain Prost

McLaren-TAG

1986

Nigel Mansell

Williams-Honda

1985

Ayrton Senna

Lotus-Renault

1984

Michele Alboreto

Ferrari

Zolder

1983

Alain Prost

Renault

Spa-Francorchamps

1982

John Watson

McLaren-Ford

Zolder

1981

Carlos Reutemann

Williams-Ford

1980

Didier Pironi

Ligier-Ford

1979

Jody Scheckter

Ferrari

1978

Mario Andretti

Lotus-Ford

1977

Gunnar Nilsson

Lotus-Ford

1976

Niki Lauda

Ferrari

1975

Niki Lauda

Ferrari

1974

Emerson Fittipaldi

McLaren-Ford

Nivelles

1973

Jackie Stewart

Tyrrell-Ford

Zolder

1972

Emerson Fittipaldi

Lotus-Ford

Nivelles

1971

Not held

1970

Pedro Rodríguez

BRM

Spa-Francorchamps

1969

Not held

1968

Bruce McLaren

McLaren-Ford

Spa-Francorchamps

1967

Dan Gurney

Eagle-Weslake

1966

John Surtees

Ferrari

1965

Jim Clark

Lotus-Climax

1964

Jim Clark

Lotus-Climax

1963

Jim Clark

Lotus-Climax

1962

Jim Clark

Lotus-Climax

1961

Phil Hill

Ferrari

1960

Jack Brabham

Cooper-Climax

1959

Not held

1958

Tony Brooks

Vanwall

Spa-Francorchamps

1957

Not held

1956

Peter Collins

Ferrari

Spa-Francorchamps

1955

Juan Manuel Fangio

Mercedes

1954

Juan Manuel Fangio

Maserati

1953

Alberto Ascari

Ferrari

1952

Alberto Ascari

Ferrari

1951

Giuseppe Farina

Alfa Romeo

1950

Juan Manuel Fangio

Alfa Romeo

 

 

Multiple Winners (Drivers)

# of wins

Driver

Years

6

Michael Schumacher

1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002

5

Ayrton Senna

1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991

4

Jim Clark

1962, 1963, 1964, 1965

Kimi Raikkonen

2004, 2005, 2007, 2009

3

Juan Manuel Fangio

1950, 1954, 1955

Damon Hill

1993, 1994, 1998

2

Alberto Ascari

1952, 1953

Emerson Fittipaldi

1972, 1974

Niki Lauda

1975, 1976

Alain Prost

1983, 1987

Sebastian Vettel

2011, 2013

Lewis Hamilton

2010, 2015


Multiple Winners
(Constructors)

# of wins

Constructor

Years won

16

 Ferrari

1952, 1953, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1984, 1996, 

1997, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009

14

 McLaren

1968, 1974, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2000,

 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012

8

 Lotus

1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1985

4

 Mercedes

1935, 1939, 1955, 2015, 2016

 

 Williams

1981, 1986, 1993, 1994

3

 Red Bull

2011, 2013, 2014

2

 Benetton

1992, 1995

 

 

Numbers and Facts

Most wins (driver) 6, Michael Schumacher 1992 – 95 – 96 – 97 – 2001 – 02

Most wins (constructor) 16, Ferrari 1952 – 53 – 56 – 61 – 66 – 75 – 76 – 79 – 84 – 96 – 97 – 2001 – 02 – 07 – 08 – 09

Wins from pole position 23, 1952 – 54 – 60 – 61 – 66 – 72 – 75 – 76 – 78 – 81 – 83 – 84 – 88 – 89 – 90 – 91 – 2000 – 02 – 07 – 11 – 12 – 15 – 16

Lowest grid for past winner 16, Michael Schumacher at Spa Francorchamps in 1995

Most recent 1-2 finish 2015, Mercedes (Lewis Hamilton-Nico Rosberg)

Most emphatic win (here) 4m 54s, 1963 (Jim Clark-Bruce McLaren)

Closest winning margin 0.35s, 1974 at Nivelles (E.Fittipaldi-Lauda) – Here the closest is 0.7s in 1961 (P.Hill-von Tripps)

Rain-affected races 17, 1952 – 56 – 63 – 65 – 66 – 77 – 81 – 85 – 89 – 92 – 95 – 97 – 98 – 2000 – 05 – 08 – 10

Safety Car-affected races 13, 1995 – 96 – 97 – 98 – 2000 – 04 – 05 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 15 – 16

Fastest race 2001, 36 laps @ 1hr 08m 05.002s (race reduced to 36 laps after accident to Luciano Burti)

Slowest race (here) 1952, 36 laps @ 3hrs 03m 46.3s (old 14.1 km/ 8.761 mile circuit – used 1946 to 1978)

Most pole positions (driver) 4, J-M Fangio 1951 – 53 – 54 – 56, Alain Prost 82 – 83 – 85 – 93 Ayrton Senna 88 – 89 – 90 – 91

Most pole positions (constructor) 12, Ferrari 1953 – 58 – 61 – 66 – 68 – 74 – 75 – 76 – 84 – 95 – 2002 – 07

What Happened last race here?

Nico Rosberg won this Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton, second and third respectively.

Hamilton received a multi-grid penalty before the start of the race due to a Power Unit change.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen and both Ferraris were involved in an incident at the start of the race.

The race was stopped on lap 9 after Kevin Magnussen crashed heavily at Raidillon, suffering a 12.5G impact, causing structural damage to the armoured collision barrier and tyre wall which required repairs, before the race could resume under green flag conditions. Magnussen suffered a cut on his ankle but no serious injury.

2016 Race Classification

Pos

Driver

Constructor

Time/Retired

Grid

1

Nico Rosberg

Mercedes

1:44:51.058

1

2

Daniel Ricciardo

Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer

+14.113

5

3

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes

+27.634

21

4

Nico Hülkenberg

Force India-Mercedes

+35.907

7

5

Sergio Perez

Force India-Mercedes

+40.66

6

6

Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari

+45.394

4

7

Fernando Alonso

McLaren-Honda

+59.445

22

8

Valtteri Bottas

Williams-Mercedes

+1:00.151

8

9

Kimi Raikkonen

Ferrari

+1:01.109

3

10

Felipe Massa

Williams-Mercedes

+1:05.873

10

11

Max Verstappen

Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer

+1:11.138

2

12

Esteban Gutiérrez

Haas-Ferrari

+1:13.877

18

13

Romain Grosjean

Haas-Ferrari

+1:16.474

11

14

Daniil Kvyat

Toro Rosso-Ferrari

+1:27.097

19

15

Jolyon Palmer

Renault

+1:33.165

13

16

Esteban Ocon

MRT-Mercedes

+1 Lap

17

17

Felipe Nasr

Sauber-Ferrari

+1 Lap

16

Ret

Kevin Magnussen

Renault

Accident

12

Ret

Marcus Ericsson

Sauber-Ferrari

Gearbox

20

Ret

Carlos Sainz Jr.

Toro Rosso-Ferrari

Puncture damage

14

Ret

Jenson Button

McLaren-Honda

Collision damage

9

Ret

Pascal Wehrlein

MRT-Mercedes

Collision

15

 

Did you know?

DRIVERS

Sebastian Vettel has still not won back-to-back Grand Prix since he won the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix. That race ended a 9-race run of victories that started in Belgium, (BEL, ITA, SIN, KOR, JAP, IND, ABU, USA, BRA)

Vettel needs to lead ‘only’ 62 more race laps to equal Ayrton Senna’s career total of 2,987. The all-time most F1 race laps led is 5,111 by Michael Schumacher

Vettel and Lewis Hamilton are the only drivers to have finished in the points in all races so far this season

Hamilton is scheduled to make his 200th F1 Grand Prix race start on Sunday

Hamilton is just 1 pole position from equalling Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 68 F1 GP pole positions. Since he has been at Mercedes he has taken pole 41 times already, nearly 50% of all races he’s started for the team (41/ 86 = 47.7%). A Hamilton pole would also equal an event all-time record (see next page)

Hamilton has won (57) 28.6% of all GP he’s started (199) and is in the top 10 drivers races to win ratio of all-time. Here’s how he compares:- Fangio 47.0%, 2. Ascari 40.6%, 3. Clark 34.7%, 4. M. Schumacher 29.7%, 5. Hamilton 28.6%, 6. Ja. Stewart 27.2%, 7. Prost 25.6%, 8. A. Senna 25.5%, Vettel 24.3% (46/189) 10. Moss 24.2%  Valtteri Bottas will be 28 on the Monday after the race ie 28th August

Kimi Raikkonen’s next win if ever it comes will be the 21st of his F1 career and will also be the most by a Finnish driver in F1. Currently he shares the record of 20 wins by a Finn with Mika Hakkinen. Another career stat he shares is 37 F1 front row appearances with Fernando Alonso

Raikkonen’s next front row will be the 39th of his F1 career and will equal Mika Hakkinen’s record for the most front row grid positions by a Finnish driver in F1

The Spanish Grand Prix marked the first anniversary of Max Verstappen’s first Grand Prix win. He has until the Singapore Grand Prix in September to win a second while still a teenager. (20th birthday on September 30th 2017). He is of course, so far the only teenager in F1 history to win a F1 World Championship Grand Prix and could still become the only teenager to take pole position too for a F1 World Championship Grand Prix. Max and Ricardo Rodriguez who started the 1961 Italian Grand Prix from P2 in his Ferrari when aged 19 years and 208 days are the only teenage drivers to date to have started a Grand Prix from the front row (Max the youngest, at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix where he started P2 he was aged18 years and 333 days

Sergio Perez needs just 1 more podium to become the Mexican driver with the most F1 podiums (currently = with Pedro Rodriguez on 7)

Nico Hulkenberg was 30 on 19 August

Marcus Ericsson will be 27 on Saturday week, 2nd September

CONSTRUCTOR’S

✪ Mercedes in Belgium will be aiming to lockout the front row for the 50th time. The all-time record is 62 and is jointly held by McLaren and Williams. The lock-out if achieved would also mark the 149th and 150th F1 front row appearances by a driver racing for Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes as a constructor has set 1 more race fastest lap in F1 World Championship GP (53) than Red Bull (52)

Ferrari has still not scored consecutive pole positions since Fernando Alonso took pole for the Scuderia at the 2012 British and German Grand Prix and has still not scored a consecutive front row lock-out since Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa lock-out the front row for the 2006 US and French Grand Prix

Ferrari last season was the only team to score championship points at all 21 events

Red Bull has achieved a podium result for at least one of their drivers in 106 different F1 Grand Prix

The current Williams team traces its origins back to 1977. The team began by running a March for Belgian Patrick Neve who sadly died earlier is year and later in 1978, became a constructor running a single FW06 car for Alan Jones. In 1979 the team expanded to 2 cars with Clay Regazzoni joining Jones. Regazzoni won Williams’s first Grand Prix, at Silversone in 1979 while Jones claimed Williams’s first driver’s and first constructor’s titles in 1980. Frank Williams had made his first forays into F1 in 1969, running a Brabham for Piers Courage. Campaigns with De Tomaso, private March’s, with his own cars and Heskeths latterly in conjunction with Canadian-Austrian entrepreneur Walter Wolf followed but it wasn’t until Williams teamed up with Head in 1977 and started all over again that Williams’s F1 fortunes really took off

McLaren has not led a F1 race lap since Jenson Button led lap 14 of the Hungarian GP in 2014. The team has started 59 GP since

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

This year is the 50th F1 World Championship-qualifying Belgian Grand Prix to be held at Spa Francorchamps (it will be the 59th Belgian Grand Prix at Spa)

If Lewis Hamilton takes pole position he will equal the all-time record for the most poles for the event. The record of 4 Belgian Grand Prix pole positions is currently jointly held by Juan-Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost

Only Michael Schumacher (6 wins) and Ayrton Senna (5 wins have won more Belgian Grand Prix than Kimi Raikkonen (4 wins – tied with Jim Clark)

The race has been won by the World Champion-to-be for 3 of the last 4 years

This year is the 50th anniversary of Dan Gurney’s win here in the All American Racers’ Eagle-Weslake. Fifty years on the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix remains the only World championship F1 Grand Prix won by an American driver driving an American car for an American-owned team (please note that the Weslake engine was British, designed by famed BRM engine designer Aubrey Woods. It was built on commission from Gurney at Harry Weslakes’ premises in Rye, East Sussex)

Driver’s Championship standing

 

Pos

Driver

Points

1

Sebastian Vettel

202

2

Lewis Hamilton

188

3

Valtteri Bottas

169

4

Daniel Ricciardo

117

5

Kimi Raikkonen

116

6

Max Verstappen

67

7

Sergio Perez

56

8

Esteban Ocon

45

9

Carlos Sainz

35

10

Nico Hulkenberg

26

11

Felipe Massa

23

12

Lance Stroll

18

13

Romain Grosjean

18

14

Kevin Magnussen

11

15

Fernando Alonso

10

16

Pascal Wehrlein

5

17

Daniil Kvyat

4

18

Stoffel Vandoorne

1

19

Jolyon Palmer

0

20

Marcus Ericsson

0

21

Antonio Giovinazzi

0

Constructor’s Championship standing

Pos

Team

Points

1

Mercedes

357

2

Ferrari

318

3

Red Bull Racing-Tag Heuer

184

4

Force India-Mercedes

101

5

Williams-Mercedes

41

6

Toro Rosso-Renault

39

7

Haas-Ferrari

29

8

Renault

26

9

Mclaren-Honda

11

10

Sauber-Ferrari

5

 Driver’s penalty points:

Driver

Penalty points

Daniil Kvyat

10

Sebastian Vettel

7

Kevin Magnussen

7

Carlos Sainz

5

Jolyon Palmer

5

Sergio Perez

5

Stoffel Vandoorne

5

Nico Hulkenberg

4

Esteban Ocon

4

Romain Grosjean

3

Max Verstappen

3

Pascal Wehrlein

2

Felipe Massa

2

Jenson Button

2

 

 

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The World Rally Championship's driver market had been static for a number of years until the all-conquering Volkswagen pulled out of the sport at the end of 2016, plunging the driver market into chaos.

With the ramifications of their exit are still very much being felt, as attention turns to who will be driving where in 2018, we take a look at which drivers hold the key to the market and which drivers could find themselves without a seat when the music stops.

Sebastien Ogier

All eyes were on quadruple WRC champion Ogier ahead of the 2017 season, he ultimately chose M-Sport and won on his debut in Monte Carlo.  He has led the championship ever since but he hasn't enjoyed the dominance achieved during his VW days. 

Rumours around Ford returning as a manufacturer won't go away and Ogier's future with the team may well depend on Ford's decision. He might be the best driver in the sport but are there really any realistic alternative options to driving the Fiesta next year? 

Hyundai has all three current drivers under contract for next year, and are surely happy with their lead driver Thierry Neuville's performances in 2017. 

Similarly, if Ogier signed with Toyota it would damage their current star, Jari-Matti Latvala who surely wouldn't welcome another stint as the champion's teammate. 

Citroen may be the most likely non-Fiesta option for Ogier but would the Frenchman rejoin the team considering how woeful their '17 season has been?   

Consequently, Ogier will probably end up sticking around at M-Sport with or without Ford's backing. 

Elfyn Evans 

Of Ogier's M-Sport team-mates, Evans is the only one who could be looking to move with Ott Tanak looking more than comfortable. Evans has been on DMACK rubber all season and DMACK hasn't quite been able to produce a consistently quick tyre to match Michelin. 

Reports suggest Evans has an offer from Toyota on the table to replace Juho Hanninen next year, and this may well be a very tempting offer for the Welshman especially if Ogier stays put. Evans has driven a Fiesta for his entire WRC career and a change may be necessary in order for Evans' career to progress and take that all-important maiden rally win. 

If Evans was to leave M-Sport, a spot would open up for Mads Ostberg who was dropped by the team at the end of 2016 to make way for Ogier. Ostberg has knowledge of the team and the tyre though may face competition from flying Finn Teemu Suninen, who impressed during his two outings in Poland and Finland. 

Andreas Mikkelsen 

Mikkelsen failed to land a seat in last year's reshuffling but should have no such troubles for 2018. Citroen will likely want to hold onto him but the Norwegian could have a couple of other offers on the table.

Replacing Evans at M-Sport could be one potential choice and Hyundai finding room for the 28-year-old can't be ruled out. 

Dani Sordo and Hayden Paddon

Sordo and Paddon have contracts for 2018 but their position in the team may not be completely safe. 

Paddon has had a difficult year with just two top-five finishes compared to team-mate Neuville's six and Sordo's five. 

The team know Paddon's potential is high and he was one of the most impressive drivers of 2016. The problem for Paddon is that other young guns have now come onto the scene and could jump him on the ladder to glory. 

Sordo is a safe pair of hands so Hyundai won't be looking to drop him but should there be a more attractive free agent on the market, the Korean manufacturer might have to let the Spaniard go. Should Sordo lose his Hyundai seat, he could return to Citroen. 

However considering Sordo is fifth in the championship and is one of the most consistent drivers on the grid, it's unlikely Hyundai would let him go. 

Paddon is definitely under more risk, but Hyundai will probably be willing to give him another chance considering the multitude of impressive rallies he's driven for the team over the past four years. 

Kris Meeke 

Meeke headed into 2017 with clear title aspirations, he was billed as the man to finally stop Ogier. Fast-forward seven months and Meeke has just 31 points and was dropped for Finland. 

Meeke's supreme pace (when he's on it) should be enough to help him keep his seat but Citroen's patience must be wearing thin. 

Team-mate Stephane Lefebvre may be first on the chopping block but Meeke will at the very least lose his lead driver status as the team continues to shift its focus onto Mikkelsen or may even attempt to poach another driver. 

Along with Neuville and Tanak, Craig Breen is almost guaranteed to stay put for 2018 after a stellar 2017 so far. 

WRC2 

Newly crowned WRC2 champion Pontus Tidemand certainly deserves a chance in a WRC car but it remains to be seen if an opportunity will arise for the Swede in 2018.

It's tough to see where that opportunity will come from, so we're predicting another stint in WRC2 alongside a couple of outings in the Ford Fiesta WRC. 

Stephane Lefebvre among other current WRC driver may be forced to step back into the WRC2 if they are left without a WRC seat in 2018. 

As for the 2018 WRC2 championship, expect flying Finn Jari Huttunen and newly crowned WRC3 champion Nil Solans to feature prominently alongside the WRC2 regulars. 

 

         

 

 

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