This is an interesting time of year for many reasons, not all of them connected. Summer is gradually giving way to autumn, in Britain at least. The swallows are gathering in preparation for the long flight south. The harvest is safely in, the evenings are cooler and the cats are coming in at night.
And the Formula 1 World Championship comes to the forests of the Ardennes where it almost always rains – a time for both reflection and some anticipation.
In the space of seven days we will have visited two motor racing circuits that neatly illustrate some of the problems faced by contemporary Grand Prix racing. The European GP in Valencia was, unsurprisingly, not a huge success. It is reported that 80,000 people went to watch the cars last weekend, and that is not nearly enough. Aside from this, the circuit needs to be laid out in such a way as to make overtaking a possibility. Motor racing without overtaking, like top-level football without any goals, is not grippingly exciting. In the case of Valencia, this is a shame, because – while it is far from being Monte Carlo – it is an interesting city with some sensational modern architecture. With a new five-year contract in their pockets, the organisers need to consider what can be done with their asphalt.
The forthcoming race at Spa-Francorchamps will be a different story. The cars will be the same but they will be on a proper circuit, one of the best in the world, and there will likely be some racing. There is, as ever, much talk of ‘dirty air’ and the Overtaking Working Group’s apparent failure to adjust the rules in ways that will allow the cars to pass each other. But this is only part of the story. A casual glance at the grids so far this season underlines just how competitive 2009 has been, how closely matched the cars are. While Valencia is virtually a ‘tunnel’ between concrete walls, Spa swoops around wooded valleys where there is more chance of this ‘dirty air’ being less of a problem. Not having a degree in aeronautical sciences, I do not pretend to comprehend the finer points of aerodynamics and the effects of airflow at high speed. But I do know that a Grand Prix driver would rather pit himself against the demands of Spa than the oppressive contortions of Valencia. To walk out into the woods at Spa and watch an F1 car at flat chat is one of the sport’s great experiences. Just to hear them approaching sends a shiver down the spine.
So, we approach an interesting juncture. Jenson Button is oddly off form. But the Brawn is clearly still a very quick car and Button, mathematically at least, must be the favourite. Lewis Hamilton is back on form and the McLaren looked mighty impressive in the high-speed stuff at Valencia. Sebastian Vettel has only two Renault V8s left to take him to Abu Dhabi. And that’s a worry, because the French motors have shown no such weakness in the back of the works cars. Mark Webber wants it badly but needs to win. Rubens Barrichello is on one of his highs. Something tells me that the Belgian Grand Prix may be a turning point.
If all this seems inconclusive, there are always the motorcycles. This weekend MotoGP returns to North America where Rossi will demonstrate how to do the perfect lap of Indianapolis on two wheels. Remember last year in the rain? Breathtaking. This year, however, it is more likely to rain in Belgium than in Indiana.
What a weekend in store then – the Grand Prix cars at Spa and the big bikes at Indy. For those of us in Europe, the time zones are in our favour, enabling us to savour what should be two great motor racing events. Make the best of it, the evenings are drawing in.
Great as usual Rob.. Spa is the BEST track around…
did you ever race at the old Spa, Rob?
If Ferrari are to sack Kimi I hope he has one more Spa win in him… If I am correct he is the only one on the grid to ever win at Spa.
Here is a suggestion to improve passing. Although not a believer in spec pieces in F1 why not make all the teams run the same brakes and makes those brakes such that braking distances increase two or three times.
Spa is the best! Looking forward to the race… possibility of rain again too!
I agree with Michael, I think if Ferrari currently has any shot of winning this season it’s going to be at Spa with Kimi (unless Massa can return in time for Sao Paulo). I kinda wanted to see what two masters at Spa (Schumi Vs. Kimi) in equal cars would have been like in Spa, I still regret we’re not going to see that.
Michael, I think you’re correct, at least according to the official results anyhow, though many probably think Mr. Hamilton should be considered a winner and others not.
Spa is one of the circuits I must drive in before I die.
Rob… I know you read your posts so I am going to cheat here and see if I can get you to expalin why it takes us in the USA to get our Motorsport mag each month… I still have not gotten August yet and Sept is now out(this happens every month for years now)…. I can only assume there is an old gentleman in a row boat coming acorss the Atlantic as we speak sitting on a pile of magazines that need deleivered as he rows away…. Thanks!
Damn right I read my ‘posts’. Otherwise what on earth would be the point in communicating with you lot out there who enjoy our magazine…….?! We are all in this together and I try to write stuff that will either interest, or irritate, my fellow fans around the planet.
I have no idea why we cannot get your magazine to you faster. After all, we now have aeroplanes. I recommend that you contact the magazine by email and ask them to try and streamline the process. Contact details at the front – the publisher is probably your best bet – he’s called Martin Nott and I know he will always be keen to do his best.
I do hear, however, that we are assessing plans for printing the mag in the USA as it’s a great market for us. I have no detail on this but I do know that our masters are keen to set this up.
What is intriguing me right now is the situation in which Red Bull find themselves. Sebastian Vettel has but two engines to propel him for the remainder of the season. Unless the team can persuade the FIA, and more importantly the other teams, that they be allowed some kind of dispensation then they are likely to be stuffed. It’s odd, because the Renault motors in the works cars have thus far been reliable.
Anyway, this all adds to the tension as we head for Spa and the prospect of what could be a pivotal race. Button needs to push, Hamilton wants to win and Ferrai has to score points with effectively one competitive driver.
Excuse me. Practice is underway.
RW
Just to add to what Rob said, Motor Sport is now being printed in the US and if you are a subscriber you will get a pdf of the entire magazine on the day of publication.
No more long waits….
EF
Oh! It seems I am rather behind the times, so thanks for helping with this one Ed. I had not realised the presses were already rolling in the US of A. Great news.
Guess what – it is raining at Spa. At least some traditions survive. This morning’s opening session was therefore pretty meaningless except that neither Vettel nor Hamilton ventured out at all, and probably for different reasons. Vettel will not want any more miles on his engine than is necessary.
The forecast is not wonderful, so the grid just might be interesting.
For info, Trulli was fastest in the wet session, followed by Button. Bt they were in the 1 min 50 sec bracket so not much to go on yet.
RW
great news for us American Motorsport readers! you guys rock!
I have been looking over the 1924-49 archive and it is like being in a diamond mine! great stuff and the complete set is a must for any motor racing historian.
rain and Spa – some things never change, thankfully!
I would kill to see Kimi and Hamilton battle it out agian and set last year right. Those two fought tooth and nail and it seemed criminal Massa got the win some ten hours behind them….
Not as cruel as Hamilton stealing Massa’s World Championship in the last few metres of the Brazilian Grand Prix. In my view.
Next year you will see Alonso in a Ferrari and that will be twice as thrilling as Raikkonen if the car is right.
The forecast for Sunday is improving all the time. Looks more likely to be fine, with maybe a shower.
Whatever, Spa is glorious. Not as completely majestic as it once was, but glorious all the same.
If I was Luca Badoer I might have suddenly felt unable to race at Spa. But I am not Luca Badoer and I hope he gets the car into the points.
KERS will be a factor from here on in. Expect the KERS cars to be at the front, especially at Monza.
This may be a significant factor in the remaining races. Well, we don’t know much about Abu Dhabi, but as the race is to be held in the dusk – to accommodate TV schedules in Europe – anything could happen.
RW
“Next year you will see Alonso in a Ferrari and that will be twice as thrilling as Raikkonen if the car is right.”
you’e crazy Rob… as far as I am concerned Fernando has Kimi’s 2005 Champiosnship and if not for the stupid 10 grid penalites they were handing out that year(and Kimi got 4 of them) Kimi would have walked that title.. Go watch Suzuka ’05 and see who drives best when the car is right…. Kimi came from further back than Alonso and won the thing on the last lap. Alonso only likes to play when the deck is stacked his way… He has had one good teammate in his life and that ended with FA leaving the team when he did not get #1 status, and he cried like a new born most of that year!
Ed, great news about the PDFs as well as the print. I’m a print guy at heart, and enjoy lounging in the yard with a cool drink and Motorsport when weather permits. And being out here in California, we do have to wait quite some time until we receive our lovely copy of Motorsport (great photos and layouts, so far so good with print quality too), so the PDF will be a nice teaser till the “Real Thing” arrives.
I have to agree with Rob about Massa really being the WDC last year, in my heart at least. I also think that last year Hamilton cut his way out of the win by going off track. It’s not Massa’s fault Kimi had gone off track before the end of the race—it certainly wasn’t Lewis’s to win anymore at that point.
All the best to our Felipe as he recovers, and I hope we have a good, spirited race at Spa, with the Scuderia finally prevailing this year. If not, all best to the battle between the Brawn and Red Bull squads for a good fight.
what a fantastic qualifying session from Spa! Force India on pole! World Champions in mid-grid… can’t wait for tomorrow.
^^^ I know! I can hardly believe it! The top three in q3 where unexpected by me, but… Fisico on pole?! That was something I would have never considered this season. Also can’t wait for the race
So, it’s true then, the offer of a Ferrari drive is worth a second a lap…
Great win Kimi…. He is the King of Spa! always great to see a guy win in a slower car than the class of the field car…. he had his hands full with Fisi for the better part of two hours…
Great drive for Fisi too… hope he and Kimi are both at Monza on one team
Well, above all else, I am pleased that this subject has inspired some sparring. It keeps us all amused, at least I hope it does.
In the famous words of Eric Burdon – please don’t let me be misunderstood. I am a big fan of Raikkonen as a racing driver and I believe that, like Jean Alesi, he would be a great rally driver. But I simply beleve that Alonso is the most complete ‘package’ at present, and therefore I look forward to seeing him in a good car once more. As far as pure car control, sheer speed over the ground, maybe Raikkonen has the edge, but if I was a team owner (ho,ho) I would employ the Spaniard to win me a constructors title.
Anyway, we may see them together next year. If the Finn does not decide to walk away. Who knows?
Fisichella brought to life by the prospect a drive at Ferrari? I’m not so sure. Take away the KERS button in the red car and a Force India would have won at Spa. If he wasn’t an Italian, I think it might be a tough call. But he is an Italian and therefore will not be able to resist the call of the Scuderia.
Great season!
RW
“Anyway, we may see them together next year. If the Finn does not decide to walk away. Who knows?”
Now that would be interesting…. Alonso did not care to be on equal terms with Hamilton at all and made that known in many ways…. Would he dare take on Kimi as well? I think Alonso’s presence would be enough to demote Massa to #2 even if he did not think he was #2… Massa is very emotional and Alonso is very smart, I think he would throw Massa into a tizzy(just look at vidoe from Germnay ’07)
Ferrari must know this already and probably prefer to get back to the days of a clear 1 and 2 since this stuff with Kimi and Massa has not worked out so well
Also being a Kimi fan, I’d really like to see him in a good car next season, so he can be given a chance to shine, like he invariably does at Spa.
That said, I agree with Rob that Alonso also deserves a first class car, or maybe slightly slightly 2nd-ish class car, so he can do seemingly impossible things with it and we can enjoy the show.
But what ever happens at the Scuderia, you shouldn’t forget that Massa isn’t alone, he has a very commited Rob Smedley next to him and together they form a very strong team, and it’s safe to say that Rob looks after his driver’s best interest behind the scenes. It would take a good while for any new team mate to gel with his engineer in such a way!
This Kimi fan is not sure another good car in his hands would do any better than the 2008 Ferrari. Massa made him look pretty ordinary most of the time and came within a whisker of the title….