Belgian GP 2008

[HKS]

Coming to thefact thatlower temperature doesn't favor the scarlet team. I'm expecting a strong come back from Felipe today. He has all the resources and he has done it in the recent past as well. So I would love to see Massa bouncing back in this very race itself. Massa had made a few mistakes in his qualifying as well. If anyone noticed in his first flying lap in Q3 he missed the apex a couple of times and later messed up the last turn. No issues, the race is still pending. [-o<

[walter]

I was pleasantly surprised by the pace of the STR drivers during the 3 quali sessions, I'd love to see them make into the points, especially Bourdais, I think he needs to prove he's got the right stuff for a seat next year. I think the low downforce setting on a track like this suits him and his prior racing experience. The track straits are where the Ferrari engines really shine.

[WhiteBlue]

something funny was going on at STR. Vettel wasn't doing the first run in Q3 and seemed to be mad at his engineer. nobody wanted to say what was going on. perhaps they were just saving tyres and had him very heavy after Bourdais was faster in Q2. we will see how the pit stops will unfold. there is still plenty of opportunity for drama with the Ardenne weather today.

Sir Frank Williams on Saturday admitted witnessing his Formula One cars qualify so badly at Spa-Francorchamps was nothing short of "embarrassing".

Four tenths slower than the next quickest car, Nico Rosberg qualified fifteenth on the legendary Belgian track, while his teammate Kazuki Nakajima will start Sunday's race next to last.

"This result is more than disappointing. It is embarrassing," said Williams, the co-owner and team principal of the Grove based squad.

nothing to add to that.


Heidfeld seems to have found a way to warm up his tyres. It comes at 5 min before noon. Perhaps its enough to keep his seat.

[axle]

WHAT A RESULT!

OMFG, I cannot believe the last 4 laps!

That was a great finish, feel for Kimi, he didn't deserve that end.

[bar555]

Bourdais finished 7th , despite the damaged front wing and nose cone caused by his collision on Trulli’s diffuser at 1st corner after start . Well done =D>

[myurr]

WHAT A RESULT!

OMFG, I cannot believe the last 4 laps!

That was a great finish, feel for Kimi, he didn't deserve that end.

My heart still hasn't settled! What a mistake by Kimi though - that has to be him out of the championship.

[axle]

Hamilton being investigated.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70381

I can't imagine there will be anything in it, it was very fair. And it's not like they didn't swap places a few times!!

[ben_watkins]

What a finish to the race! I couldn't sit down for the final 3 laps!

As for the investigation, what is there to investigate? All looked fair and above board to me.

Well done, great end to the race =D> =D>

[The FOZ]

Bloody Hell.

Ferrari gave Kimi every opportunity to win this race, fresh chassis, he was on a fresh engine, and then the rain comes down...Hindsight being what it is, Ferrari should have pitted both their cars at the first sign of rain at the end. Would have likely ended up Kimi-Massa-Hamilton.

Allegedly laptime went up by 30-some seconds after the rain started to fall.

Am I the only one who thinks that a good bit of Ferrari's struggles of late have been due to the change in leadership? It seems to me that there just weren't quite so many bunglefarts when Todt was running the show.

As for the Hamilton-Kimi thing at the end, Lewis FINALLY showed the ability to analyze a questionable situation he'd created, and take correct action. Letting Kimi pass before the line was 100% the right thing to do. The investigation should find that he did the right thing, even if he'd given Kimi more ground back, he still would have caught him before the end of the race.

[donskar]

Good race, with PASSING on the course rather than solely in the pits!

Decision time approaching for Ferrari.

Massa can win on any given day, but does he have what it takes to be the team's #1?

Will Kimi finally decide to move on to other interests? He proved today he can still drive, but how much psychological damage did he suffer? He lost on "his" track, on a day when he was the Kimi of old. Does he now concede (to himself at least) that he can not beat Hamilton?

If Enzo were still alive, Kimi would be gone, or at least under intense presure to step up or step out. Today's team will still support him, but winning is all.

A previous post questioned the team's leadership. Certainly there has been a drop off in reliability. I think they miss Martinelli in the engine dept and Stepney before he went to the dark side.

[Carlos]

In the last few laps Hamilton took advantage of chaos, at every obstacle, he made the decision that maintained speed and momentum, yes, he had the superior chassis for the situation but he was just that fraction more focused.

[axle]

If Kimi has to defer to Massa for this year, I'd like to think that he would regroup over the winter and come back and fight next year.

[casper]

That was a nailbiter ending of a race.

The quote of the race for me will be from Lewis when he said (shouted really) over the car radio "That's what I'm talking about guys, that's what I'm talking about!" as he took back the lead from Kimi in La Source.

[Scotracer]

What I want to know is why the Ferrari is so useless in the wet. It appears the problem is power delivery. You think after the shambles of Silverstone, they would have made better engine maps by now.

[myurr]

What I want to know is why the Ferrari is so useless in the wet. It appears the problem is power delivery. You think after the shambles of Silverstone, they would have made better engine maps by now.

Hamilton was much better under braking as well.

I would say that it is almost certainly related to the way the chassis and in particular the setup that Lewis has uses and heats the tyres (Heikki is also unable to match Hamilton in the wet, despite having effectively the same car). We routinely hear of Hamilton leaning on the tyres more heavily than other drivers, and I would imagine that in the wet this allows him to better heat the tyres, keeping them closer to their optimal operating range.

It may also be due to differences in tyre pressure and suspension settings between the Ferrari and McLaren.

Disclaimer: I'm only an armchair observer with no real clue.