The summer break is round the corner, but before shutting up shop for a few weeks in accordance with the FIA regulations, it’s time to tackle a true Formula 1 “Grande Epreuve,” the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. This track has always been one of the most challenging in the world, dating back to the time it was twice as long as its current seven kilometres. It has provided the backdrop to legendary battles and breathtaking displays of skill from some of the biggest stars in the motor racing firmament. The Ardennes rollercoaster has seen wins for Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher who took his maiden Formula 1 win here in 1992, just as Charles Leclerc did in 2019, his first year with Scuderia Ferrari.
The track. Spa-Francorchamps hosted a round of the first season of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1950 and, in its current form, its 7.004 kilometres snaking through the Ardennes forest features 19 corners. Its most famous section, Eau Rouge-Raidillon is the part that twists left and right as the cars climb the 35 metre high hill before firing their cars down the Kemmel straight. It’s an ideal overtaking opportunity with the help of DRS and speeds that can reach 300 km/h as cars race wheel to wheel, before braking hard for Les Combes where the track goes right, left and then right again, another popular passing spot throughout the weekend. The second sector is more technical and runs downhill towards Bruxelles, a fast right hander where the car needs good mechanical balance to avoid understeering. The track is still heading downhill towards Pouhon a very fast right hander where drivers are subjected to lateral forces of up to 5G. Stavelot then signals the start of a right-left-right sequence, again requiring good balance as it leads into the third sector which sees the cars travelling flat-out once more, before reaching the final chicane at a speed of over 300 km/h, braking heavily before crossing the start-finish line and braking again for the first corner, the tight right hand hairpin with several possible lines, before once more charging down the hill towards Eau Rouge.
Uncertain weather. Rain is always a possibility in this part of Belgium, with sudden occasional storms or relentless rain that can cause chaos over the weekend. Not only does this make the cars hard to manage but it can really mix up the order in qualifying and the race given that overtaking in the wet is always a tricky proposition. However, it is summer, so if it’s a sunny day, track temperatures can exceed the 30 degree mark.
Timetable. The Belgian Grand Prix timetable follows the usual format: the first and second free practice sessions take place on Friday, starting at 13.30 and 17.00, while Saturday starts with the final hour of free practice at 12.30 followed by qualifying at 16.00. The 44 lap Belgian Grand Prix gets underway at 15.00 on Sunday. (All times CEST)
Fred Vasseur
Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP
The Belgian Grand Prix will round off what has been a particularly busy July for the team at the track and everyone back in the factory in Maranello. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit will allow us to verify if we have done a good job over the past few weeks to mitigate the side effects in high speed corners of the update package we introduced recently. The porpoising effect was very low at the Hungaroring, thanks to the evolution of the floor we introduced in Budapest and now we will see if we have fixed it at high speed tracks too. Charles and Carlos have always gone well at Spa, Charles taking his very first F1 win here in 2019 and it’s a circuit where driver skill can really make a difference. If we provide them with an SF-24 that they can comfortably push to the limit, I believe we can have a competitive weekend and bring home plenty of points.
FERRARI STATS
GP contested 1087
Seasons in F1 75
Debut Monaco 1950 (A. Ascari 2nd; R. Sommer 4th; L. Villoresi ret.)
Wins 245 (22.54%)
Pole positions 250 (23.00%)
Fastest laps 262 (24.10%)
Podiums 817 (25.05%)
FERRARI STATS BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
GP contested 67
Debut 1950 (A. Ascari 5th; L. Villoresi 6th)
Wins 18 (26.86%)
Pole positions 16 (23.88%)
Fastest laps 19 (28.36%)
Podiums 50 (24.87%)
THREE QUESTIONS TO... FRANCESCO CARROZZO
TESTING & TRACK ENGINEERS
1. What are the characteristics of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit?
Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most iconic venues on the calendar and one of my personal favourites. Its most famous section is the legendary Eau Rouge-Raidillon corners, which the drivers tackle at over 300 km/h and which from the cockpit looks like a wall to be climbed. It is the longest track of the season, with around 50 gearchanges per lap in Qualifying. It has several flat out super fast sections, which is why the most used gear is the eighth one. Then there are slow corners like La Source and the Bus Stop, which are taken in second gear and where the driver has to stop the tyres from sliding with careful throttle control. Then there are quick corners like Blanchimont and Eau Rouge, which are again taken at full throttle.
2. What sort of stresses is a gearbox subjected to over the course of a race weekend and which track is toughest on it?
The gearbox is the link between the torque from the PU and the torque transmitted to the ground through the tyres. It is subjected to all the stresses such as acceleration and loads from the interaction between the rear tyres and the track surface, such as bumps, kerbs, wheels locking up and the car sliding. Therefore, it has to be an extremely versatile and reliable component given that one unit must be used for several Grands Prix. A large part of the stress also comes from the actual shifting of the gears as thousands are made in a single race, all of them having to be extremely quick and precise. As for the most demanding tracks for the gearbox, I would definitely say Singapore, where the unusual track layout requires a continuous stop and go style from the driver who is having to change gear all the time, for a total of over 8000 times over the weekend.
3. And what about yourself? What career path brought you to Ferrari and what does it mean to you, being part of this team?
I was born and brought up in Sicily in a little village on the east coast in the province of Messina. I studied for an engineering degree in Catania and then in Turin, where I started to work for some automotive companies. In 2019, I got the opportunity to join the gearbox testing group at Ferrari and I did not hesitate to make the move from Turin to Maranello. At first I was working as a gearbox engineer on the test bed before working trackside with the customer teams. As from last year, I started working with the Ferrari track team. Obviously, I am very proud and pleased to be part of the Ferrari team and my family and those dear to me feel the same for me.
Profile
Francesco Carrozzo
Nationality: Italian
Born: 14/11/1990
In: Roccalumera (IT)
BELGIAN GRAND PRIX: FACTS & FIGURES
3. The number of colours in the Belgian flag: black, yellow and red. The design is based on the French flag and the colours are those of the Duchy of Brabant. The flag was designed in Brussels by Edouard Ducpetiaux and Lucien Jottrand in August 1830 and adopted on 30 September, shortly after the country gained independence from the Netherlands. Even the national anthem, the Brabanconne takes its inspiration from the French anthem, the Marseillaise.
6. The FIFA ranking for the Belgian national football team. Football, along with cycling is the most popular sport in the country. The football team has never won any major trophies – it was third in the 2018 World Cup and in 1980 it lost to West Germany in the European championship final – but it has twice been ranked as the best team in the world by the governing body, from November 2015 to March 2016 and again from September 2018 to March 2022.
43. The number of Olympic gold medals won by Belgium. The most it won in a single games was 14 in 1920 in Antwerp. Next best was five medals of the most precious metal in 1900 in Paris, the city that hosts the 2024 games starting this Friday. The most medals, 11 golds, have come in archery and Hubert Van Innis is the most successful athlete with six golds. The country has won a total of 155 medals.
250. The speed differential in km/h between the slowest and fastest corners at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The slowest is the first corner, La Source, at 60 km/h, the fastest is the daunting Blanchimont, taken at 310 km/h.
3000. The approximate number of castles in Belgium, one every ten square metres, a European record in terms of density. The most famous are the Gravensteen in Ghent, the Het Steen in Antwerp, the Modave castle in the Ardennes, and those in Gasbeek, the duchy of Brabant and Ooidonk.