Belgian circuit is loved by many drivers and fans. High-speed long straight here side by side with the twisting sector, crazy twist «Red Water», which participants are «full gas» is after close studs.
There is always — if not in every race, in every second for sure — there are accidents and blockages at the start, crashes into the «Red Water» crazy overtaking on the rise «Kemmel» misunderstandings and incidents in the «Bus Stop». Weather can bring any surprises — the hot sun can suddenly give way to rain and vice versa.
Time after time, in Belgium surprises occur both in qualifying and in the race. Not an exception and this year's Grand Prix of Belgium — he has incorporated virtually all the «gentlemen's set!»
The first gift presented the weather — well, who would have expected that at the end of August instead of the cool and wet heat come to Belgium? As a result, absolutely all the teams that have made the choice of rubber long before the Grand Prix, were not ready to such conditions. In training they had to work on tight in order to find the best option to work with selected compounds of tires.
Oddly enough, but hardly any worst situation in the mighty and invincible Mercedes — German machine command «eat» the most hard rubber compound (Medium) just half a dozen training laps. Of course, that two other staff — Soft and SuperSoft — held even less.
The results of the three training sessions were, at least, discouraging — the best time in each of them showed different riders from different teams.
The first training for the pilots remained Mercedes — Nico Rosberg set the fastest time, while Lewis Hamilton lost his result, seven tenths of a second. In the second practice session was dominated by representatives of the Red Bull — Max Verstappen was the fastest on the 256,000th ahead of his teammate Daniel Riccardo. The third training session excelled Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari, which is the same two tenths lost all the same Riccardo Dan from Red Bull.
So what conclusions can be drawn from these results? The conclusion suggests only one — at the Mercedes at this track in such weather conditions and with the choice of rubber is not seasoned advantage. Intrigue? Yes!
Qualifications this time absolutely nothing is solved for the two multiple world champions — Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, by definition, had to start the race from the last row. So could ride one circle in the first segment, show at least some time and leave it at that — to spare tires and the car.
How did it happen? The fact that the Briton and the Spaniard team Mercedes and McLaren respectively changed power plants. Hamilton got three new motor — typing with 55 penalty positions at the start in Belgium, but creating a brand new stock of power plants until the end of the season.
Alonso is set to race new powerplant lasted only three laps of Friday's workout. As a result, engineers had to put a new unit, he received a fine of 35 positions at the start, but not during qualifying and rode one lap — the new engine is also ordered to live long. Thus, Fernando automatically «won» the right to start from the last position, giving the penultimate Lewis.
Results of qualification — as always in Belgium — were very interesting. In addition to the two champions in the last row that promise exciting breakthrough both in the course of the race, enough surprises and at the beginning of the peloton.
In the absence of competition from his fellow team he won the pole Nico Rosberg. 15 hundredths of a second he lost to Max Verstappen — Dutch teenager, who cheer for Belgium came almost the whole of his country, showed the best result in qualifying in his career.
Verstappen Jr. left behind the two Ferrari — Kimi Raikkonen was faster than Sebastian Vettel — as well as his fellow Red Bull Racing Daniel Riccardo.
Of interest to note that the two pilots Force India finished the qualification to fly with a pair of 6 and 7 results — Sergio Perez walked Nico Hulkenberg — but it is more important that they have left behind their principal rivals from Williams team in the fight for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship.
Home has traditionally been for the Belgian track was marked by a mass of unpleasant events — collision loss positions and retirements. And chief among them, perhaps, was the group clash in the group of leaders.
Max Verstappen «slept» start, with the result that the Dutchman ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. In the first turn the Germans went to the outer radius, the Finn began to get it right — between Ferrari and Seba striker. But even had a little more to the right place, where, and tried to climb Verstappen!
As a result, Raikkonen had a bit to straighten the path, so as not to collide with Red Bull, but riding on the left Vettel has already begun to turn towards his teammate. Two Ferrari collided hooked and Red Bull.
The consequences of the incident proved disastrous for all three riders. Vettel turned around and he was forced to miss the whole group of opponents. Verstappen and Raikkonen lost the front fairing and had to go to the pits to replace them — where Ferrari has managed to catch fire, and it had to simmer!
But the troubles did not end there. On the second lap, Carlos Sainz, ran over the debris left on the track after the accident, struck the right rear wheel and it immediately exploded, damaging the rear wing. The Spaniard tried to get to the boxes, but the wing came off and he finally had to admit defeat.
Already in the sixth round in the «Red Water» at full speed, he lost control and went off the road in a chipper Kevin Magnussen. His Renault turned into a pile of rubble, but the Dane has got a cut on his leg.
Judges are first released on the track the safety car, and then completely stopped the race red flags to recreate the destroyed because of an accident barrier.
All drivers drove into the pits and lined up in the pit lane. It was then, in a peaceful atmosphere and all saw that started the latest Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are not simply played any position — to the tenth circle they were in the top five!
After 17 minutes was announced restart and re-entered the race in his direction. The main events took place in the two groups. The first led the battle for second and third place — a struggle led by Daniel Riccardo, Nico and Lewis Hamilton at the restart ahead of Fernando Alonso. The second was fighting on the outskirts of the top ten — it clashed Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen.
As a result, Riccardo kept the second position, while Hamilton eventually finished third, made it to the podium — a sensational breakthrough with 21 to third place! Kimi managed to get ahead of Max, but they almost collided at high speed several times. After Verstappen not scolded race just lazy...
Nico Rosberg calmly brought the race to a twentieth victory of his career. But already at the next race, which will be held in the coming weekend at the circuit of Monza in Italy, the Germans will be much more difficult — Lewis Hamilton is unlikely to start the penultimate...
Photo: XPB Images
