The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
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The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
This is the place to discuss everything related to the 12th round of the 2021 season taking place in Spa between the August 27th-29th.
To submit your 10 'n' Pole Picks for Belgium click here, to register in the competition click here
Picks for Belgium close at the start of Saturday practice
The event timetable for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Friday
1st Practice 11:30 local time - 09:30 GMT
2nd Practice 15:00 local time - 13:00 GMT
Saturday
Practice 12:00 local time - 10:00 GMT
Qualifying 15:00 local time - 13:00 GMT
Sunday
Race 15:00 local time - 13:00 GMT
To submit your 10 'n' Pole Picks for Belgium click here, to register in the competition click here
Picks for Belgium close at the start of Saturday practice
The event timetable for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Friday
1st Practice 11:30 local time - 09:30 GMT
2nd Practice 15:00 local time - 13:00 GMT
Saturday
Practice 12:00 local time - 10:00 GMT
Qualifying 15:00 local time - 13:00 GMT
Sunday
Race 15:00 local time - 13:00 GMT
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
This weekend, the grand prix circus returns to Spa in Belgium after the summer break.
Teams have had a 4 week break to analyze the shortcomings of each of their weapons, then brainstorm, design and manufacture something will hopefully find them that elusive tenth of a second to move up the grid. These refinements will have undergone testing and development to ensure that there will be no failures through oversight. With points equaling dollars at the end of season and a world championship or two at stake, reliability is at the forefront.
So, what will have changed.
Probably in the big picture, all teams will have made similar gains so the status quo should remain the same. Possibly one team may have found a solution to an ongoing problem that has plagued them for the first part of the season. Time will tell.
I felt the struggles of Williams over the years and am now in dismay over the fall of Haas. I do know that they had a good midfield car in previous seasons but to have fallen to be probably the slowest team is disappointing. Alfa Romeo are also another team that have shown that occasionally they are heading in the right direction only to fall short at the finish.
If there was a circuit I would like to attend, this would be the one so am a so looking forward to this weekend's event! Bring it on!
Teams have had a 4 week break to analyze the shortcomings of each of their weapons, then brainstorm, design and manufacture something will hopefully find them that elusive tenth of a second to move up the grid. These refinements will have undergone testing and development to ensure that there will be no failures through oversight. With points equaling dollars at the end of season and a world championship or two at stake, reliability is at the forefront.
So, what will have changed.
Probably in the big picture, all teams will have made similar gains so the status quo should remain the same. Possibly one team may have found a solution to an ongoing problem that has plagued them for the first part of the season. Time will tell.
I felt the struggles of Williams over the years and am now in dismay over the fall of Haas. I do know that they had a good midfield car in previous seasons but to have fallen to be probably the slowest team is disappointing. Alfa Romeo are also another team that have shown that occasionally they are heading in the right direction only to fall short at the finish.
If there was a circuit I would like to attend, this would be the one so am a so looking forward to this weekend's event! Bring it on!
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
FP1 Results
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:45.199 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
2 1:45.363 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
3 1:45.699 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
4 1:45.818 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
5 1:45.935 Carlos Sainz Ferrari
6 1:46.127 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing
7 1:46.177 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
8 1:46.336 Lando Norris McLaren
9 1:46.497 Esteban Ocon Alpine
10 1:46.612 Fernando Alonso Alpine
11 1:46.649 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
12 1:46.683 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
13 1:46.755 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing
14 1:46.772 George Russell Williams
15 1:46.928 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri
16 1:47.101 Nicholas Latifi Williams
17 1:48.125 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing
18 1:48.224 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
19 1:48.705 Nikita Mazepin Haas
20 1:49.059 Mick Schumacher Haas
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
The drivers returned to a damp track, took a sighter lap, and returned to the pits. The track became dry almost immediately and stayed the same to near the end of the session when some light rain appeared over different corners at the circuit.
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
FP2 Results
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:44.472 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
2 1:44.513 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
3 1:44.544 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
4 1:44.953 Fernando Alonso Alpine
5 1:44.965 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
6 1:45.180 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
7 1:45.302 Esteban Ocon Alpine
8 1:45.336 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
9 1:45.386 Lando Norris McLaren
10 1:45.404 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing
11 1:45.517 Carlos Sainz Ferrari
12 1:45.758 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri
13 1:45.789 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing
14 1:45.967 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing
15 1:46.118 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
16 1:46.198 Nicholas Latifi Williams
17 1:46.665 George Russell Williams
18 1:46.836 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
19 1:47.335 Nikita Mazepin Haas
20 1:47.529 Mick Schumacher Haas
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
Following a relatively quiet FP1, all hell broke loose in FP2.
Esteban Ocon started the mayhem with a spin that, in most cases, would have ended in the barriers. He got lucky and drove back to the pits.
With 20 minutes remaining in the session, Charles Leclerc lost the rear of his Ferrari coming out of turn 6 and didn't regain full control before taking the left front corner off on the barriers.
With just a couple of minutes remaining, Max Verstappen lost the rear of his Red Bull in the vicinity of where the Ferrari was placed for safety. He ended rear end into the barriers with the right rear corner sustaining most of the damage.
Both should be repaired overnight with race components also being installed.
Esteban Ocon started the mayhem with a spin that, in most cases, would have ended in the barriers. He got lucky and drove back to the pits.
With 20 minutes remaining in the session, Charles Leclerc lost the rear of his Ferrari coming out of turn 6 and didn't regain full control before taking the left front corner off on the barriers.
With just a couple of minutes remaining, Max Verstappen lost the rear of his Red Bull in the vicinity of where the Ferrari was placed for safety. He ended rear end into the barriers with the right rear corner sustaining most of the damage.
Both should be repaired overnight with race components also being installed.
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
FP3 Results
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:56.924 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
2 1:57.871 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing
3 1:57.996 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
4 1:58.509 Lando Norris McLaren
5 1:58.913 Esteban Ocon Alpine
6 1:59.205 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
7 1:59.324 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
8 1:59.436 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
9 1:59.492 George Russell Williams
10 1:59.613 Fernando Alonso Alpine
11 1:59.808 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
12 1:59.981 Nicholas Latifi Williams
13 2:00.456 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
14 2:00.749 Carlos Sainz Ferrari
15 2:01.269 Mick Schumacher Haas
16 2:01.370 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
17 2:01.510 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri
18 2:01.512 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing
19 2:01.792 Nikita Mazepin Haas
20 2:04.382 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
This session saw the drivers feeling their way around on intermediates. With a limited tyre available for qualifying and the race, survival was at the forefront.
Kimi Raikkonen had a brake problem which permitted him and his Alfa Romeo just 3 laps in the session.
Kimi Raikkonen had a brake problem which permitted him and his Alfa Romeo just 3 laps in the session.
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
Qualifying
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:59.765 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
2 2:00.086 George Russell Williams
3 2:00.099 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
4 2:00.864 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
5 2:00.935 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
6 2:01.164 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
7 2:02.112 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing
8 2:02.502 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
9 2:03.513 Esteban Ocon Alpine
10 No Time Lando Norris McLaren
________________________________________________________
11 1:57.721 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
12 1:58.056 Nicholas Latifi Williams
13 1:58.137 Carlos Sainz Ferrari
14 1:58.205 Fernando Alonso Alpine
15 1:58.231 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
________________________________________________________
16 2:02.306 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing
17 2:02.413 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri
18 2:03.973 Mick Schumacher Haas
19 2:04.452 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing
20 2:04.939 Nikita Mazepin Haas
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
Well. What a strange session. The weather had such an impact, particularly in the final session.
To start. The start of qualifying was delayed due to running water on the track. It then became a challenge to be on the right tyre at the right time.Many teams initially took to the track on full wets, only the Williams duo went out on intermediates. This proved to be the tyre of choice for Q1.
Q2 commenced with the threat of rain within 5 or so minutes into the session. The track was still dame so again, intermediates was the choice of the session.
Then the rain came in the break between Q2 & Q3. The session was declared open and a few teams ventured out. Lando Norris was the first to go for a fast time and lost the rear of his McLaren in the transition between Eau Rouge and Raidillon. The car was totaled, the driver walked clear of the wreckage. And the rain kept coming down...
Q3 eventually resumed with Max Verstappen taking the top spot just ahead of George Russell in the Williams and Lewis Hamilton.
The grid will not be as per the qualifying results with both Botta and Stroll taking 5 grid place penalties into the event.
Lando Norris has been cleared to start however will probably be at the rear of grid due to his incident and resulting repairs.
To start. The start of qualifying was delayed due to running water on the track. It then became a challenge to be on the right tyre at the right time.Many teams initially took to the track on full wets, only the Williams duo went out on intermediates. This proved to be the tyre of choice for Q1.
Q2 commenced with the threat of rain within 5 or so minutes into the session. The track was still dame so again, intermediates was the choice of the session.
Then the rain came in the break between Q2 & Q3. The session was declared open and a few teams ventured out. Lando Norris was the first to go for a fast time and lost the rear of his McLaren in the transition between Eau Rouge and Raidillon. The car was totaled, the driver walked clear of the wreckage. And the rain kept coming down...
Q3 eventually resumed with Max Verstappen taking the top spot just ahead of George Russell in the Williams and Lewis Hamilton.
The grid will not be as per the qualifying results with both Botta and Stroll taking 5 grid place penalties into the event.
Lando Norris has been cleared to start however will probably be at the rear of grid due to his incident and resulting repairs.
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
Grid
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:59.765 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
2 2:00.086 George Russell Williams
3 2:00.099 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
4 2:00.864 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
5 2:00.935 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
6 2:01.164 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
7 2:02.112 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing
8 2:03.513 Esteban Ocon Alpine
9 1:57.721 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
10 1:58.056 Nicholas Latifi Williams
11 1:58.137 Carlos Sainz Ferrari
12 1:58.205 Fernando Alonso Alpine
13 2:02.502 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
14 2:02.306 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing
15 No Time Lando Norris McLaren
16 2:02.413 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri
17 2:03.973 Mick Schumacher Haas
18 2:04.939 Nikita Mazepin Haas
19 1:58.231 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
20 2:04.452 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
Valtteri Bottas & Lance Stroll carried 5 place grid penalties into this event from their incidents in Hungary.
Lando Norris' McLaren was repaired but a new gearbox was fitted. This also incurred a 5 place grid penalty.
Kim Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo was changed during parc ferme and he was required to start from pit lane.
Lando Norris' McLaren was repaired but a new gearbox was fitted. This also incurred a 5 place grid penalty.
Kim Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo was changed during parc ferme and he was required to start from pit lane.
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Re: The 2021 Belgium Grand Prix Thread
Results (for the shortest Grand Prix in history)
Sergio Perez crashed on his out lap before the race commenced.
Lance Stroll received a 10 second penalty for work on his Aston Martin during the stoppage.
Code: Select all
Pos Driver Team
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
2 George Russell Williams
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
4 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
5 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
6 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
7 Esteban Ocon Alpine
8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
9 Nicholas Latifi Williams
10 Carlos Sainz Ferrari
11 Fernando Alonso Alpine
12 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
13 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing
14 Lando Norris McLaren
15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri
16 Mick Schumacher Haas
17 Nikita Mazepin Haas
18 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo Racing
19 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
Lance Stroll received a 10 second penalty for work on his Aston Martin during the stoppage.