F1 2014 thread

Eau Rouge may not be flat out in 2014 - Sutil

Adrian Sutil says he is not convinced drivers will be able to take Spa's iconic Eau Rouge corner at full throttle at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix due to the characteristics of the new generation of F1 cars.

The V6 turbo era has introduced cars with higher top speeds at the cost of reduced downforce, which results in slower cornering speeds and has led to slower lap times this season. The sweeping, high-speed Eau Rouge corner has always been one of F1's most famous but Sutil thinks this year it could be a bigger challenge than ever.

"Eau Rouge is one of my favourite corners and this year it will be difficult to go flat out due to less downforce," Sutil said. "With the new cars we will have more top speed and less grip, so it will be interesting to see how it will be to drive under these conditions.

"Regarding the set-up [at Spa], there are two variations: Either you are fast in sector two and relatively slow on the straights or vice versa. Both set-ups can result in the same lap time."

However, Sauber reserve driver Giedo van der Garde disagrees with his colleague about how drivers can approach the corner this year.

http://en.espnf1.com

Interesting.
 
Verstappen handed 2015 Toro Rosso drive

Max Verstappen will become the youngest Formula One driver in history after Toro Rosso announced he is to replace Jean-Eric Vergne for the 2015 season.

The 16-year-old, son of former Benetton and Tyrrell driver Jos Verstappen, has been confirmed in an F1 seat alongside Daniil Kyvat.

Verstappen will join the team after completing the European F3 Championship this year, having won last year's KZ World karting championship.

"First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Helmut Marko and Red Bull for all their trust and giving me the chance to make my Formula debut in 2015 with Scuderia Toro Rosso," Verstappen said. "Ever since I was seven years old, Formula One has been my career goal, so this opportunity is truly a dream come true.

"There are several people that have helped me throughout the years and still support me to this day and I want to sincerely thank them. First of all a big thanks to my father Jos, who has always been by my side, day and night, year after year.

"Of course I'm very thankful for all my sponsors who've believed in my talent and supported me in these financially difficult times. I hope that I can maintain a wonderful collaboration with them as I embark on this exciting new phase in my career. I also want to thank my manager Raymond Vermeulen, for all his efforts in making this agreement possible.

"Finally, thanks to all the teams in the various karting and single-seater categories for their vital help and support. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.

"We've all worked tremendously hard to reach Formula 1 and I will give my absolute best to be successful in the pinnacle of motorsport. With the return of the Verstappen name to Formula One, I hope we can relive old memories and I'm hoping to see many fans at all the Grand Prix circuits."

To date, Jaime Alguersuari is the youngest driver to have started a grand prix, having also driven for Toro Rosso when he was aged 19 years and 125 days in 2009.

Vergne leaves Toro Rosso after three seasons, with team principal Franz Tost thanking him for his efforts before revealing his excitement over Verstappen's potential.

http://en.espnf1.com/f1

Sjoe, 16, that's hellova young, no matter what talent. Gud luck.
 
Ja, you're right, still, that's just out of puberty and here he is on such high stakes.

Surprised FIA hasn't got some kind of minimum age.

His reactions are going to be lightning fast though. Try beating a 17 year old at a computer game lol.
 
His reactions are going to be lightning fast though. Try beating a 17 year old at a computer game lol.

True that. Though my thinking is will he be able to make the correct choices when it comes to split second decisions in extreme cases.

Stuff that comes with experience.
 
True that. Though my thinking is will he be able to make the correct choices when it comes to split second decisions in extreme cases.

Stuff that comes with experience.

For sure - nobody's going to give him slack there...
 
Vital Statistics - the Belgian Grand Prix

Did you know that Lewis Hamilton is the only current driver to have taken pole position more than once at Spa, but that he still trails Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in the victory count? Or that all four of Jim Clark's Belgian triumphs - and five of Michael Schumacher's six - came without the benefit of starting from pole? Ahead of this weekend's 2014 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix, we present all the need-to-know facts, stats and trivia...

Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps

Circuit length: 7.004 km

Number of corners: 19 (10 left, 9 right)

DRS zones: 2

Race laps: 44

Race distance: 308.052 km

2014 tyre compounds: Medium, soft

Circuit lap record: 1m 47.263s - Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 2009

First world championship Grand Prix in Belgium: 1950, Spa-Francorchamps (won by Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo)

Number of races: 58 (46 - Spa-Francorchamps; 10 - Zolder; 2 - Nivelles)

Number of races at Spa-Francorchamps with at least one safety-car appearance: Eight of the last 12

Longest race: 1952 (3h 03m 46.3s)

Shortest race: 2004 (1h 08m 05.0s)

Last year's pole position: 2m 01.012, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Last year's podium: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 2 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), 3 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Most appearances (current field): 12 - Jenson Button; 10 - Fernando Alonso; 9 - Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa; 7 - Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton; 6 - Adrian Sutil; 3 - Daniel Ricciardo, Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado, Kamui Kobayashi, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg; 2 - Jean-Eric Vergne; 1 - Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez

Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (driver): 6 - Michael Schumacher; 5 - Ayrton Senna; 4 - Jim Clark, Kimi Raikkonen; 3 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Damon Hill; 2 - Alberto Ascari, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel; 1 - Nino Farina, Peter Collins, Tony Brooks, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Pedro Rodriguez, Jackie Stewart, Gunnar Nilsson, Mario Andretti, Jody Scheckter, Didier Pironi, Carlos Reutemann, John Watson, Michele Alboreto, Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button

Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (constructor): 16 - Ferrari; 14 - McLaren; 8 - Lotus; 4 - Williams; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Benetton, Red Bull; 1 - Maserati, Mercedes, Vanwall, Cooper, Eagle, BRM, Tyrrell, Ligier, Renault, Jordan

Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (engine manufacturer): 16 - Ferrari; 10 - Ford; 7 - Mercedes, Renault; 5 - Climax, Honda; 2 - Alfa Romeo; 1 - Maserati, Vanwall, Weslake, BRM, TAG, Mugen-Honda

Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (driver): 4 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost; 3 - Graham Hill, Mika Hakkinen; 2 - Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Lewis Hamilton; 1 - Nino Farina, Alberto Ascari, Eugenio Castellotti, Mike Hawthorn, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, John Surtees, Jim Clark, Chris Amon, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson, Clay Regazzoni, Jacques Laffite, Alan Jones, Carlos Reutemann, Michele Alboreto, Nelson Piquet, Rubens Barrichello, Gerhard Berger, Michael Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Kimi Raikkonen, Giancarlo Fisichella, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button

Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (constructor): 13 - Ferrari; 11 - McLaren; 9 - Williams; 5 - Lotus; 3 - BRM, Renault; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Red Bull; 1 - Lancia, Cooper, Brabham, March, Ligier, Jordan, Force India, Mercedes

Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (engine manufacturer): 13 - Ferrari; 9 - Ford, Renault; 8 - Mercedes; 6 - Honda; 3 - BRM; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Climax; 1 - Lancia, TAG, Hart, BMW

Number of wins from pole: 21 from 58 races (36 percent); Four of the last ten races (40 percent)

Lowest winning grid position: 16th (Michael Schumacher, Benetton, 1995)

Laps led (current field): 153 - Kimi Raikkonen; 82 - Sebastian Vettel; 50 - Lewis Hamilton; 45 - Jenson Button; 7 - Fernando Alonso; 6 - Felipe Massa; 4 - Nico Rosberg

Most podium places (current field): 5 - Kimi Raikkonen; 4 - Sebastian Vettel; 3 - Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton; 2 - Felipe Massa

Number of Belgians to have started at least one Grand Prix: 23

Strange but true: None of Jim Clark's four victories in Belgium came from pole, with the three-time world champion making up a total of 24 places during his quartet of triumphs. When he did start from pole, in 1967, he went on to finish sixth. Michael Schumacher came close to repeating the dynamic: his first five victories came from the second row or lower, but in 2002 he converted pole into what would be his final victory on Belgian soil.

Percentage of 2014 season complete: 57 percent

Maximum number of world championship points still available to a single driver: 225

Significant running sequences going into this weekend: Ferrari - 78 consecutive races in the points - the longest run in F1 history; Fernando Alonso - 14 consecutive points finishes; Lewis Hamilton - 4 consecutive podium finishes; Nico Rosberg - 3 consecutive poles

Milestone: A Mercedes triumph at Spa would be the team's 23rd Formula One victory, which would move them level with Tyrrell and into a share of ninth in the all-time list.

Turbo history: If a Ferrari-powered car wins the race it'll be the first Ferrari turbo win since the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.

www.formula1.com
 
Changes at Spa-Francorchamps

Ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix a number of changes to the circuit have been confirmed.

New debris fences have been installed at Turn 1 (La Source), whilst drainage has been installed or improved at Turns 2, 4, 8, 11, 16 and 17.

Also, the wall on the driver’s left after Turn 11 has been renewed.

There are two DRS zones, the detection point for the first is 240m before Turn 2, with the activation point 310m after Turn 4. The second detection point is 160m before Turn 18, with the activation point 30m after Turn 19.

www.pitpass.com
 
Belgian Grand Prix 2014


Free practice 1
Driver Teams Time

1 N Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1'51.577
2 LC Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1'51.674
3 F Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1'51.805
4 J Button (GBR) McLaren 1'52.404
5 KM Räikkönen (FIN) Ferrari 1'52.818
6 S Perez (MEX) Force India 1'52.903
7 K Magnussen (DEN) McLaren 1'52.922
8 N Hülkenberg (GER) Force India 1'52.937
9 D Ricciardo (AUS) Red Bull 1'52.972
10 V Bottas (FIN) Williams 1'53.172
11 S Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1'53.369
12 D Kvyat (RUS) Toro Rosso 1'53.594
13 R Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1'53.597
14 A Sutil (GER) Sauber 1'53.703
15 F Massa (BRA) Williams 1'53.968
16 JE Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1'54.189
17 G van der Garde (NED) Sauber 1'54.335
18 P Maldonado (VEN) Lotus 1'55.336
19 J Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1'55.782
20 A Rossi (USA) Marussia 1'57.232
21 A Lotterer (GER) Caterham 1'57.886
22 M Ericsson (SWE) Caterham 1'57.977

http://en.espnf1.com
 
Usual suspects in the front, but a strong showing from Williams again.

Well done, I hope they can challenge for podium this weekend.
 
Belgian Grand Prix 2014


Free practice 2
Driver Teams Time

1 LC Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1'49.189
2 N Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1'49.793
3 F Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1'49.930
4 F Massa (BRA) Williams 1'50.327
5 J Button (GBR) McLaren 1'50.659
6 V Bottas (FIN) Williams 1'50.677
7 D Kvyat (RUS) Toro Rosso 1'50.725
8 D Ricciardo (AUS) Red Bull 1'50.977
9 K Magnussen (DEN) McLaren 1'51.074
10 N Hülkenberg (GER) Force India 1'51.077
11 JE Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1'51.383
12 A Sutil (GER) Sauber 1'51.450
13 S Perez (MEX) Force India 1'51.573
14 R Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1'52.196
15 KM Räikkönen (FIN) Ferrari 1'52.234
16 J Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1'52.776
17 E Gutiérrez (MEX) Sauber 1'53.955
18 M Chilton (GBR) Marussia 1'54.040
19 M Ericsson (SWE) Caterham 1'54.050
20 A Lotterer (GER) Caterham 1'54.093
21 P Maldonado (VEN) Lotus -
22 S Vettel (GER) Red Bull -

www.espnf1.com
 
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