The Official 2016 Belgian Grand Prix Thread **Spoilers**

[Dr Z]

cheddar said:

Dr Z, as always, thank you

Have the Mercs still got the dominant straight line pace they've had all season, the speed trap figures say maybe not and, on this circuit, with the most time spent north of 300 klickety klicks, it's crucial.........

No problem...oh yeah I'd still bet on a Merc winning this race but I'm impressed how close others are, close enough for a driver to make a difference and that's something that gets my interest going.

[Crafty_]

Someone who is near the track just posted that there is a huge thunderstorm in the area at the moment. That is quite likely to mean that temperatures are lower tomorrow and a green track. Temperature drop will help everyone but I think will help Merc stretch to the usual gap.

What weather they get tomorrow is anyone;'s guess I suppose.

[FourWheelDrift]

Qualifying speed trap.

1. Rosberg 319.8 kph
2. Massa 318.3
3. Bottas 317.9
4. Vettel 317.9
5. Ocon 317.7
6. Raikkonen 317.3
7. Hulkenberg 316.5
8. Ricciardo 316.4
9. Hamilton 316.3
10. Perez 316
11 Wehlein 315.9
12 Verstappen 315.1
13 Nasr 314.5
14 Ericsson 314.1
15 Gutierrez 313.6
16 Kvyat 312.9
17 Magnussen 312.5
18 Sainz 312.3
19 Grosjean 311.7
20 Palmer 311.5
21 Button 309.7
22 Alonso managed 194.8 before it went pop.

[Gary C]

Interesting q2, max on ss should make the start interesting, and we know he won't be shy on sticking it in front of Rosberg if he gets half a chance, but could he hold it after eau rouge, I would expect the merc to out drag him and regain the lead unless Rosberg gets flustered and looses more than one place.

What should Hamilton do, fly off the line and try to take as many as possible or hold back in case of carnage at the first?, daft question really, he will go for it. Should be able to clear about 8 cars before eau, then a couple more after that, expect at least one Ferrari to drop off the pace so I predict at least 5th but I'm expecting 3rd.

Pity I'm on a 12 hour shift tomorrow, will only be able to see an hour live on a break, could be a classic.

[Flooble]

Gary C said:

...
Pity I'm on a 12 hour shift tomorrow, will only be able to see an hour live on a break, could be a classic.

Can't rig up a recorder so you can take your break at 1330, fast forward through any boring bits and watch the climax live?

[cheddar]

FourWheelDrift said:

Qualifying speed trap.

1. Rosberg 319.8 kph
2. Massa 318.3
3. Bottas 317.9
4. Vettel 317.9
5. Ocon 317.7
6. Raikkonen 317.3
7. Hulkenberg 316.5
8. Ricciardo 316.4
9. Hamilton 316.3
10. Perez 316
11 Wehlein 315.9
12 Verstappen 315.1
13 Nasr 314.5
14 Ericsson 314.1
15 Gutierrez 313.6
16 Kvyat 312.9
17 Magnussen 312.5
18 Sainz 312.3
19 Grosjean 311.7
20 Palmer 311.5
21 Button 309.7
22 Alonso managed 194.8 before it went pop.

Oddly slow
I wonder where they measured that, they've been hitting 340 to 350 in free practice

[Gary C]

Flooble said:

Gary C said:

...
Pity I'm on a 12 hour shift tomorrow, will only be able to see an hour live on a break, could be a classic.

Can't rig up a recorder so you can take your break at 1330, fast forward through any boring bits and watch the climax live?

humm, can't bring anything on to site as security would have a fit (and I might get shot) but I just remembered an old vhs player that was used for the camera system, might be able to rig it up, wonder if there are any tapes.......

[Alicatt1]

Thunder storm has been coming up from the south of us,

Facing south east ... https://youtu.be/Ad53FgyQOJM

[glazbagun]

Alicatt1 said:

Thunder storm has been coming up from the south of us,

Facing south east ... https://youtu.be/Ad53FgyQOJM

Hopefully plenty left for tomorrow.

[Derek Smith]

glazbagun said:

Alicatt1 said:

Thunder storm has been coming up from the south of us,

Facing south east ... https://youtu.be/Ad53FgyQOJM

Hopefully plenty left for tomorrow.

I hope it stays dry. There's every chance of competition at the front without rain and pace cars.

[FourWheelDrift]

cheddar said:

FourWheelDrift said:

Qualifying speed trap.

1. Rosberg 319.8 kph
2. Massa 318.3
3. Bottas 317.9
4. Vettel 317.9
5. Ocon 317.7
6. Raikkonen 317.3
7. Hulkenberg 316.5
8. Ricciardo 316.4
9. Hamilton 316.3
10. Perez 316
11 Wehlein 315.9
12 Verstappen 315.1
13 Nasr 314.5
14 Ericsson 314.1
15 Gutierrez 313.6
16 Kvyat 312.9
17 Magnussen 312.5
18 Sainz 312.3
19 Grosjean 311.7
20 Palmer 311.5
21 Button 309.7
22 Alonso managed 194.8 before it went pop.

Oddly slow
I wonder where they measured that, they've been hitting 340 to 350 in free practice

Depends where Alonso pulled off, it'll be somewhere between the pit exit and where he stopped and those are FIA times from their website so it'll not be in the place where they are fastest.



Meanwhile. According to Alonso he is on pole tomorrow.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJn403Qhfsh/

[cgt2]

Flooble said:

The guys praying for rain - if Hamilton fans - have you considered that he has a low downforce setup in an attempt to let him overtake on the straights? Rain is going to hurt Hamilton badly.

If the guys praying for rain are not Hamilton fans on the other hand - yep, should make things really good fun!

Can he not change setup and start from the pitlane? It will hardly make any difference to his starting position.

[cgt2]

A couple of weather forecasts are now saying rain at 2pm. And it's never light at Spa, it always rains cats and dogs. Game over for Rosberg if so

[VolvoT5]

Well I would prefer it NOT to rain as it looks like there is potential for a 4/5 way battle for victory already. At a long circuit like Spa a bit of rain turns the whole thing into a crap shoot - where are you in the lap when it starts raining, where are you when the safety car is deployed, do you have to double stack in the pits, etc, etc.

If a driver is at the wrong end of the pit entry when it starts raining he can easily lose half a minute or more which is not my idea of a great race really.

[suffolk009]

Derek Smith said:

What you do is accept that a/ the cost savings were illusory, and b/ that the current regs are farcical.

It was a pointless exercise. It is not as if costs haven't risen year after year. Just accept that they got it wrong and move on.

I think the cost savings have fallen short of their targets. Without anything in place, the teams would be testing 24/7 and still using 80 engines a year (MB's figure from commentary yesterday).

I do think the regs have been poorly written and ill considered. But then that's nothing new, F1's history has been about finding a competitive advantage through loopholes in poorly written rules.

I'm not defending anyone - just commenting that punishing the teams (not the driver) isn't quite as fair as many at first might think.

[RichB]

Derek Smith said:

RichB said:

Derek Smith said:

I'll have lap timing on as I will want to follow LH's progress

Which one do you use Derek, assuming you haven't paid for Bernie's one?

I normally use the FIA one as I only use it sparingly. But it doesn't give sector times. Do you have another?

Derek

I used this for the German GP, https://f1.tfeed.net had sector times and track positions. Don't know if it will work again but worth a try.

[DS240]

For once, I hope there is no rain to spice things up.

It is looking like it will harder for them if it actually stays dry trying to keep life in the tyres.

I really don't get these penalties. Take a one race hit at a back row start and you can stock pile engines and accessories?!

This 'cheating' would soon stop if the 55 grid place penalties or whatever the total is, continued through to the next races until penalties cleared. No stock piling by Hamilton/Mercedes then!

[Derek Smith]

RichB said:

used this for the German GP, https://f1.tfeed.net had sector times and track positions. Don't know if it will work again but worth a try.

Thanks, Rich. I'll give it a go.

[Derek Smith]

DS240 said:

For once, I hope there is no rain to spice things up.

It is looking like it will harder for them if it actually stays dry trying to keep life in the tyres.

I really don't get these penalties. Take a one race hit at a back row start and you can stock pile engines and accessories?!

This 'cheating' would soon stop if the 55 grid place penalties or whatever the total is, continued through to the next races until penalties cleared. No stock piling by Hamilton/Mercedes then!

The problem is that the rule is all but unworkable. If they'd stuck to the letter then Alonso would still be driving in Germany. They can't just remove the provision without lots of complaints by other teams so a Merc driver starts almost from the back of the grid.

I don't want rain either. An exciting circuit, Merc struggling, albeit just a little, and four cars behind all more or less equal and another two just a little bit behind.

[37chevy]

DS240 said:

For once, I hope there is no rain to spice things up.

It is looking like it will harder for them if it actually stays dry trying to keep life in the tyres.

I really don't get these penalties. Take a one race hit at a back row start and you can stock pile engines and accessories?!

This 'cheating' would soon stop if the 55 grid place penalties or whatever the total is, continued through to the next races until penalties cleared. No stock piling by Hamilton/Mercedes then!

WHAT 'CHEATING'? Last time checked the rules were very clear...Mercedes Ade going a very smart thing and giving Hamilton the best chance of winning the championship...after the Mercedes team let him down with reliability problems earlier in the year...he's still got to start from the back of the grid, one hell of a penalty when your team mate is at the front.

Wonder if you'd be saying the same thing if Rosberg or vettel was in hamiltons position?!and let's face it Mercedes aren't the only ones who have done this over the last couple of years.