2013 Belgian GP - Spa

[godlameroso]

The funny thing about this track isn't the elevation change, while it's plentiful it's also rather gradual, no the real trick to this circuit is the off camber nature of a lot of these corners. When you attack here it's almost impossible to catch the camber on the road it's very difficult to establish a rhythm because the grip is constantly changing, your car has to give you two things stability under braking and transient stability, meaning the most consistent suspension travel and downforce. For one it's quite bumpy, if the weather is as I predict I think it's going to be a very interesting race as the greasiness of a drying track will push driver's nerves to their edge.

[WhiteBlue]

it's very difficult to establish a rhythm because the grip is constantly changing, your car has to give you two things stability under braking and transient stability, meaning the most consistent suspension travel and downforce

I think it means two things:
Drivers who are good at feeling the grip level with great accuracy and who are great qualifiers should do good.
Perhaps another chance for raccoon (Grosjean) to beat Kimi.

Cars with FRIC could be an advantage.

[PlatinumZealot]

Despite what people say, Spa is one of the easiest tracks on the calender. All the drivers pretty much do well here. Haven't heard of it being being a "bane track" for anyone.

[raymondu999]

Despite what people say, Spa is one of the easiest tracks on the calender. All the drivers pretty much do well here. Haven't heard of it being being a "bane track" for anyone.

Tell that to Alonso. IMO it's just about (as close as it gets to) a bane track for Alonso

[SectorOne]

It´s not an easy track in any way, To really squeeze out everything you need to be spot on. It´s 7km so if you are 2 tenths of your teammate at a 5km track that will expand a bit in general.
Some corners like Eau Rouge, Raidillon, Paul Frere, Blanchimont are flat out but Les Combes, Rivage, Pouhon, Campus, Stavelot, Bus stop, La Source takes tremendous precision to nail.

Just like Monaco, Suzuka, Singapore it´s a proper driver´s track. One of the few tracks a driver can make a difference.

[hollus]

It might be Alonso's "bane track", but it is where he got his breakthrough dominant win in F3000 that put him in everybody's eyes for the jump to F1, barely aged 19, back in year 2000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Inter ... 000_season

[raymondu999]

It´s not an easy track in any way, To really squeeze out everything you need to be spot on. It´s 7km so if you are 2 tenths of your teammate at a 5km track that will expand a bit in general.
Some corners like Eau Rouge, Raidillon, Paul Frere, Blanchimont are flat out but Les Combes, Rivage, Pouhon, Campus, Stavelot, Bus stop, La Source takes tremendous precision to nail.

Just like Monaco, Suzuka, Singapore it´s a proper driver´s track. One of the few tracks a driver can make a difference.

Campus? Do you mean Fagnes? The chicane between Pouhon 2 and Stavelot 1 is Fagnes.

It might be Alonso's "bane track", but it is where he got his breakthrough dominant win in F3000 that put him in everybody's eyes for the jump to F1, barely aged 19, back in year 2000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Inter ... 000_season

Yes, that is a conundrum. Especially when you think of his F1 record at Spa, which isn't stellar.

[SectorOne]

Campus? Do you mean Fagnes? The chicane between Pouhon 2 and Stavelot 1 is Fagnes.

I think Fagnes is Turn 13, Campus Turn 14.

I would not consider that a chicane either, it´s very flowing and fast, more like an Esse.

[turbof1]

More like something inbetween esses and chicanes. Too fast and broad for a typical chicane, but also slow for esses.

A very special corner indeed. In a typical chicane you would have to keep away from the throttle until you are at the very exit of it. For Fagnes you have to break hard for the first corner and then slam right back on the throttle mid corner.

[SectorOne]

It´s just a connection of corners really, like Les Combes which also isn´t a chicane.

[beelsebob]

For me it's clear that both Les Combes and fanges are chicaines for a simple reason – the curve of the racing line through the corner has only one inflection point in the centre. An S is taken with two inflection points.

[godlameroso]

I love the fact that both of those sets of corners aren't straight forward, if you use all the road on the entry it compromises your exit, in addition to the fact that again the road has varying cambers on both sides. The line isn't apparent, furthermore the ideal line changes as the grip level changes due to weather. In cars with similar performance it comes down to who can establish a rhythm, also it's a high speed track but it's not easy to pass.

Also now that the tires have changed I expect that we'll see a good battle to the finish between Mercedes and Red Bull with Lotus acting as spoiler, sadly I don't see Ferrari making any significant ground on the competition. Alonso will just drift backwards in the standings.

[turbof1]

It´s just a connection of corners really, like Les Combes which also isn´t a chicane.

Les combes is more a chicane. It's much tighter.

[Richard]

Surely a chicane has 3 apexes, ie 3 inflections? I think of it as two contraflections - ie a change in the direction of the curvature. For example a left-right chicane has turn left to enter, straighten, turn right, straighten, turn left to exit. Another key feature the radius, it has to be tight enough to slow the cars down!

The FIA doesn't define track layout, hence no formal definition of a chicane. See Annex O clause 7.2 http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/ ... 202013.pdf

[SectorOne]

In my opinon there´s one chicane at SPA and that´s the bus stop chicane.

fagnes is definitely not a chicane, it´s a regular right left corner complex. Same with Les Combes with the addition of another right that is connected.




[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vRJ9Vhrkdc[/youtube]

the bus stop (and like all other chicanes) are to slow the cars down. Fagnes and Les Combes are pure track design.
If you look at the area around Les Combes you´ll see that they would have problems with run-off area if they had just made it a super fast bend. (notice the run off at Pouhon for comparison)
The run-off at the last right hander at Les Combes has a pretty significant run-off, imagine doubling that or even tripling that area. It would also have to be much wider/longer parallel to the road down to Rivage.