2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Verstappen to receive new Hungarian GP trophy after Norris broke £39,000 original.
Herendi Porcelain Manufactory: “While the teams decide who was at fault and who was not, we will take on the joyful and heavy burden of this.”
17:25 Mon, 24 Jul 2023.
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

Norris smashes six months’ hard work and nearly £40,000. Even worse for Verstappen, it was the first time he’s was in line to collect the majestic china Hungarian GP trophy – one of the best on the calendar.

“It is with great regret that we learned yesterday that the beautiful Herendi trophy, a handmade work of art, was damaged,” Attila Simon, CEO of Herendi Porcelain Manufactory Zrt told M4 Sport. “It is the result of nearly six months of work by more than 30 people and we were very sorry to see this happen to our artwork.”

“But we believe, and Herendi Porcelain Manufactory is a company that plays a key role in building the country’s image, that we will replace the trophy for the first place winner, and while the teams decide who was at fault and who was not, we will take on the joyful and heavy burden of this.”

‘Replace the trophy’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...rris-original/


Max Verstappen's girlfriend gets involved as Lando Norris apologises to Red Bull star
Lando Norris has said sorry to Max Verstappen for smashing his Hungarian GP trophy.
21:13, Sun, Jul 23, 2023
By Charlie Malam
Daily and Sunday Express

Norris commented: "I'm so sorry." And Verstappen's girlfriend Kelly Piquet also got involved, appearing to hint that the Briton has plans to hit the golf course on Monday as she wrote: "@landonorris hope you have better form tomorrow!"

Norrisalso took to his Instagram story, quoting Verstappen's post and captioning it: "Sorry not sorry." He then posted a screenshot of a Google search for 'Kintsugi' which translates to 'golden joinery' and is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold seams where the cracks were.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Norris joked that the damage was actually Verstappen's fault. He said: "No that is my celebration, to hit the bottle. Max put his trophy in the wrong place. It's Max's fault."

‘Smashing his Hungarian GP trophy’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...Piquet-F1-news


Lando Norris refuses to take responsibility for shocking Max Verstappen incident
24 July 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News

In a lighthearted moment of podium celebration, Lando Norris, the talented driver from McLaren, playfully suggested that Max Verstappen was at fault for the accidental breakage of the $45,000 winner’s trophy during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix.

In the post-race press conference, Norris jokingly blamed Verstappen for the mishap, stating, “Max just placed it too close to the edge. It fell over, I guess. Not my problem. It’s his!” Following the trophy mishap, the Herendi company, responsible for crafting the cup, pledged to replace it promptly.

Attila Simon, the CEO of Herendi, assured that they would take on the responsibility of making a new trophy. Production has already commenced, with efforts to expedite the six-month process to ensure Verstappen receives his replacement trophy in the coming weeks.

‘Refuses to take responsibility’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/lando-nor...ppen-incident/


Lando Norris causes huge headache after £35k Hungarian Grand Prix trophy clanger
Max Verstappen spent only a few seconds in possession of his trophy for winning the Hungarian Grand Prix before it was accidentally smashed into several pieces
11:03, 24 Jul 2023
By Kieran King Sports Writer
The Mirror

Lando Norris stunned the Formula One world on Sunday when he smashed Max Verstappen's trophy after the Red Bull driver won the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Brit finished second behind Verstappen and ahead of third-place Sergio Perez - and the trio celebrated their successes on the podium. After the national anthems, they were handed their champagne and began the traditional spraying of one another. But that was when things got out of hand.

Norris hit his bottle off the podium and accidentally forced the trophy off the top step. Footage shows the trophy break into several pieces. But the celebrations carried on regardless, with Norris nervously glancing behind him at the broken trophy several times as the champagne continued to flow.

‘Norris nervously glancing behind him’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...appen-30537536


Lando Norris smashes Max Verstappen's Hungary GP trophy during podium celebrations
09:57, Mon, 24 Jul 2023.
By Ben Hunt
Give Me Sport

Fans of both Norris and Verstappen have been quick to react to the incident.
“That’ll be a 5 sec penalty,” “A McLaren driver breaking Red Bull’s trophy for its 12 consecutive win is about as poetic as the real world gets,” and “This is amazing and if I may say… A very Lando thing to do. When Lando wins next week, Verstappen can get his own back,” were just a few of the comments.

Thankfully, the Red Bull team seems to have taken the incident in good humour, replying to McLaren’s tweet with: “We can’t take you anywhere, glad to have you up there with us though," before following up with: “We’re gonna need some glue."

Speaking on the F1 record, the Dutchman said: "Twelve wins in a row is just incredible. What we've been going through the last few years is unbelievable and, hopefully, we can keep this momentum going for a long time."

‘A very Lando thing to do’;

https://www.givemesport.com/lando-no...-celebrations/

[Fortitude]

DRIVER OF THE DAY: Perez's P9-to-podium charge gets your vote in Hungary.
Sergio Perez needed a strong performance in Budapest – and boy, did he deliver, with an aggressive drive taking the Mexican from ninth on the grid to third at the flag.
23 July 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Sergio Perez - 20.7%
Lando Norris - 20.4%
Oscar Piastri - 13.7%
George Russell - 8.4%
Max Verstappen - 7.6%

‘DRIVER OF THE DAY’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...T93OGxFFZ.html


Brundle: Perez recovery in Budapest a ‘statement drive’
25th July 2023, 14:39
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

But writing in his column for Sky Sports, Brundle commended Perez’s drive from Hungary: “Perez from a disappointing ninth on the grid would have an impressive drive to the podium which was determined and aggressive in equal measure,” he said.

“It was just the performance he needed for his own confidence as well as his reputation. His overtakes were tough, not with desperation but with total steeliness, and his speed was good. I described it in commentary as a statement drive.”

“He showed that he can just about keep his head in the shadow of Verstappen’s speed and results, which few others could do, but he still needs to be bothering the Dutchman’s mirrors at the end of the races. But let’s not forget his brilliant victories just a few months ago in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.”

‘Statement drive’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...atement-drive/


Perez produces ‘best payback’ to ease Red Bull pressure
Tuesday 25th July, 2023 - 1:32am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

“If you look at the progress Checo made from ninth on the grid, it was an outstanding drive from him,” said Horner. When asked about Friday morning being the worst-case scenario, he added: “It was the best payback he could give his mechanics and the team. He will take a lot of confidence out of that. It was a big result for him.”

Responding to him being under pressure, Horner said: “The problem is, you guys wind things up, and you can go from hero to zero in this business pretty quickly. He’s not immune to that. Formula 1’s a pressure business, he knows that. He’s been around long enough to know the pressures that there are in Formula 1, and at Red Bull, sometimes that’s even more heightened.”

“But he’s responded in the best possible way, did his talking on the circuit, delivered a great performance, and he’ll be more than happy with his drive today. He just needs to put more emphasis on Saturday. He was in Q3 at the weekend, and again he’ll take confidence from that. As soon as he starts qualifying on the first couple of rows, and then he’ll be back in business.”

‘Best payback’

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/25...ssure-payback/


Horner hails ‘outstanding’ Perez, but what did he say on Ricciardo?
Sergio Perez finished third at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen
July 24, 2023
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

Christian Horner praised Red Bull‘s Sergio Perez for hitting back at his critics as he achieved his second Formula 1 podium in six races at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, but also talked up Daniel Ricciardo on his return with AlphaTauri.

But, Horner did acknowledge Perez, who is 110 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, still has room to improve in qualifying. An unassailable one-lap gap to Verstappen was what did for Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon previously in Red Bull‘s second seat, and had Perez started further up the grid he likely would’ve helped score the team’s first one-two since Miami.

“I think he needs to put more emphasis on Saturday,” Horner added. “He was in Q3 obviously, this weekend so I’d take confidence from that. As soon as it starts qualifying in the first couple of rows, and then we’ll be back in business. The problem is you guys wind things up, you can go from hero to zero in this business pretty quickly so he’s not immune to that. And I think he responded in the best possible way and did his talking on the circuit and delivered a great performance.”

‘Horner hails ‘outstanding’ Perez’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...rez-ricciardo/


Perez sends Ricciardo Red Bull WARNING and hits out at 'COUCH' CRITICS
Monday 24 July 2023 10:42
Lauren Sneath
GPFans

Sergio Perez has insisted that you cannot be a driver for Red Bull unless you are ‘mentally strong’, explaining the ‘pressure’ to which he is subjected to as a member of the team. The driver, who has been with Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s team-mate since 2021, has seen a dip in performance recently which has ignited rumours that he could be replaced in 2025 by Daniel Ricciardo.

“If you're not mentally strong, you can't be in Red Bull. Here you should not underestimate the level of pressure you are subjected to. Red Bull is a team in which if you have a bad session you already have five drivers in the spotlight. It is a constant pressure from the press.”

“In these three years, I have never seen this before on any other team. With Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes, the team you tell me, all their drivers have had difficult times, but nothing happens. It's not like in Red Bull, you have a bad time and you already have to leave the team.” He explained: “I’m calm because I'm doing my best. But, without a doubt, it is judged very differently for the Red Bull drivers. Public opinion will always be there and it's normal. I focus on my own.”

‘Red Bull WARNING’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...rong-red-bull/

[Fortitude]

Leclerc ******* BIZARRE Ferrari ******* that won't go ****.
“One *** of four words ** not understood ** my engineer ******* there is problems **** our radio for ***** or four races.” ******* Leclerc.
Monday 24 July 2023 19:12
Joe Ellis
GPFans

Ferrari *** been dealing with a ********** problem for ******* races, according to Charles *******. The ********** revealed after the Hungarian **, where Ferrari **** seventh and eighth, **** there **** been radio issues that **** lingered for ****** at least three races.

** has made communication ****** the races extremely ***** for Leclerc in **********, who was **** penalised for ******** in the pitlane in ********. “The problem is **** we have **** a lot of ******** with the radio,” Leclerc ****, as per *****.net.

“We **** to fix that, and *********, my tone of voice is ***** high because I **** to make myself *****. But I just ****** to make sure **** they didn’t understand me ***** and that I ****** to go aggressive ***** and not ********** late. It *** just about clarifying ******* of our radio ******.”

‘Radio ******’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-wont-go-away/


Vasseur 1-to-1: Ferrari mistakes, drivers and ignoring the noise
26th July 2023, 08:00
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

“I trust the people of the team,” he says. “They were able to win races, they all have huge potential. We have to improve, because this is the life of the team, of any racing team in the world, go-kart or F1 team, you always want to do a better job tomorrow than today.”

“It’s more a matter for me of mentality, that if you can have this kind of approach, how I can do the best on every single topic of the company. To have this kind of mentality is crucial.” Ferrari’s hierarchy needs the patience to let that filter through Maranello as Vasseur intends. The team faces short-term problems but F1 only offers medium-to-long-term solutions.

Where the Fred Vasseur era might lead will only become known if he is given time – not to see his vision through to the end, because he’d just tell you this is something with no finish line, but certainly a lot longer than the seven months or so he’s had so far.

‘Ferrari mistakes’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/vasse...ing-the-noise/


Ferrari boss breaks silence on Charles Leclerc tensions after public outburst
Tensions have continued to boil over between Charles Leclerc and Ferrari amid speculation about his future.
25 July 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News

In Budapest, Leclerc voiced concerns about the team’s race tactics, requesting a strategy offset compared to his teammate Carlos Sainz. Padros responded, “We are discussing it at the end,” which seemed to irk Leclerc, prompting him to retort, “What do you mean at the end?”

Padros then reassured him, “We are on it.” However, Vasseur clarified that part of Leclerc’s annoyance was a result of a malfunctioning microphone, which hindered clear communication.

“We were not able to understand what he said because he had an issue with the microphone,” Vasseur explained to the media.

‘Public outburst’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ferrari-b...blic-outburst/


Leclerc reveals hidden Ferrari issues behind radio attitude
25 July 11:39AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

A number of frantic-sounding radio messages were relayed between driver and pit wall during the 70-lap event at the Hungaroring which saw Leclerc finish seventh. His finishing position was affected by strategic indecision, a 9.4-second first pit stop and a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane at his second stop.

Responding to questions over his radio attitude, Leclerc told media including RacingNews365: "We had a lot of problems with the radio and one out of four words is not understood by the engineer, because there's just been problems with the radio for three or four races.”

Matters were made no easier by a lack of hydration for Leclerc on the hottest day of the weekend as an issue with his drinks system hit pre-race. Explaining the issue, the Monégasque said: "I had no water. Just before the start, I realised the tube was short, so I couldn't reach the water - it was really frustrating."

"I had no water”;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-re...radio-attitude


Ferrari “made too many mistakes” in Hungary – Vasseur
Tuesday 25th July, 2023 - 4:00am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

Fred Vasseur claims Ferrari “made too many mistakes” across the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend that contributed to another below-par performance by the team’s high standards. Conceding that finishing sixth and seventh was “not the results we were expecting coming to Budapest, Vasseur added: “I think it was largely compromised after the quali with P6 and P11.”

“First, we need time to understand what we did right and wrong because the format was different. It’s not so easy to analyse the perfect weekend, and you need to get all the results to be able to retro-engineer this. On our side, it’s more the fact we made too many mistakes from the beginning to the end, and it’s not just about the pitstop, or the pit entry, or the quali yesterday, or the management of the tyres and so on.”

“In the end, the potential was probably better than what we showed (in qualifying), and then, at least with Charles, we lost 20 seconds in the race. Every single Monday of my career you have to do the list, and you have a long list of mistakes. Sometimes you can see it, sometimes not, but the job of the team principal is to do the list with team members and to fix it.”

“Too many mistakes”;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/25...many-mistakes/


SAINZ: LECLERC GOT PREFERENTIAL PIT STOP TO ‘COMPENSATE’ FOR MISTAKE
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have had several moments of minor tension this year, the most recent being the miscommunication in qualifying at the British Grand Prix. But have tempers flared again in Hungary?
July 25, 2023
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds

Carlos Sainz believes Charles Leclerc was allowed to undercut him during the Hungarian Grand Prix to make up for an earlier pit stop blunder

When the drivers started to make their final stops of the Grand Prix, the Monégasque was given the preferred pit stop over his teammate. Typically, the driver ahead of his teammate on the track will be given the first pit stop, which tends to be the preferred stop.

DAZN asked Sainz about this strategic call by Ferrari after the Grand Prix. The Spanish driver responded: “There’s not much to say. Charles [Leclerc] had a slow pit stop and then it’s clear that the team wanted to change the positions of the cars. Maybe it was to compensate, I don’t know. A shame.”

‘PREFERENTIAL PIT STOP’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/sa...e-for-mistake/


Two F1 teams catch Martin Brundle’s eye for all the wrong reasons
25 Jul 2023 8:15 AM
Mark Scott
PlanetF1.com

Sky F1 analyst and pundit Martin Brundle singled out both Ferrari and Aston Martin at the Hungarian Grand Prix – but not exactly for the right reasons. At the Hungaroring, Ferrari finished 70 seconds behind runaway winner Max Verstappen in the dominant RB19 while Fernando Alonso, on the podium in five of the first seven races, was 75 seconds adrift. His team-mate Lance Stroll, in P9, was even lapped by Verstappen.

“Ferrari had an ultimately disappointing weekend in seventh and eighth and a minute behind the leader,” Brundle said. “Charles Leclerc suffered a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane by just 0.7kph which rather sums up their luck at the moment. He also had a poor pit stop which further dented his chances and once again his frustration over team radio was plain to hear.”

“Carlos Sainz started on soft compound tyres which he used to very good effect by gaining five places off the line but ultimately it would compromise his race. Ferrari were the fourth fastest car on race day and were out-qualified by two of their customer teams in Alfa Romeo and Haas. I can imagine their debriefs after Budapest and heading directly to Spa were somewhat tense…”

“Ferrari… …out-qualified by two of their customer teams in Alfa Romeo and Haas”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/two-f1...wrong-reasons/

[Fortitude]

Disappointing Hungary Result ‘a Reality Check’ for Aston Martin – Mike Krack.
Mike Krack says it is important that the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team can push through their developments as they were only the fifth fastest team during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
July 25, 2023
By Paul Hensby
The Checkered Flag

Krack, the Team Principal at Aston Martin, says both Alonso and Stroll performed well during the Hungarian Grand Prix but did not have the pace nor performance needed to challenge higher up the order, something they need to address if they are to return to their early podium-challenging form.

“Getting two cars home inside the points was the maximum today,” said Krack. “It was a quiet and uneventful race, and the results were in pace order as we finished behind our direct competitors. “Both Lance and Fernando performed very well, but we are missing the performance to challenge higher up.”

“Lance did particularly well to finish just behind Fernando from his initial grid position. Today is a reality check. We need to keep our heads down, keep working hard, and push through the developments to get back to where we were in earlier in the season.”

‘Fifth fastest team’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...in-mike-krack/


Why Aston Martin’s ‘reality check’ admission is so significant
Jul 25 2023
By Edd Straw
The Race

“At the end of the day, I don’t think it is a strategy thing that made us go in one or the other direction, the cars were in pace order on a track where we thought we would be more competitive and we’re not,” Krack told The Race.

“This is a reality check for us. We have slipped back, we have to be honest about it. Seventy seconds after 70 laps is not lying, there were no safety cars, no major incidents. We need to work hard to give our drivers a better car because they maximised what we could do.”

“You will remember that I always said we need to look at a couple of races, different track characteristics,” said Krack. “We have had these now and we realise that we’re not quick enough.”

‘Reality check’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/why-a...o-significant/


Three Points ‘the Maximum’ at ‘Hot and Demanding’ Hungaroring – Fernando Alonso
July 25, 2023
By Paul Hensby
The Checkered Flag

Fernando Alonso believes ninth and tenth in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix was the best result possible for the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team. Alonso says the team will need to find a way to get back to fighting at the front of the pack after seeing them fall further behind the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team as the teams battle over second place in the Constructors’ Championship, while Ferrari and the resurgence McLaren F1 Team are also involved in the battle.

“I think three points for us was the maximum we could achieve [as a team] today,” said Alonso. “We had a bit of a lonely race with no threats behind, but we were unable to make significant ground up on our competitors ahead of us.”

“It was a hot and demanding race as well and we all had to manage the tyres throughout. There have been a lot of surprises in the last few race weekends, but we need to try our best to get back to fighting at the front of the pack. We will analyse everything and look to bounce back at Spa next week.”

‘Three Points Max’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...rnando-alonso/


Alonso makes BLUNT Aston Martin demand as team fall behind
Tuesday 25 July 2023 09:27
Joe Ellis
GPFans

Fernando Alonso is not happy with the lack of development from Aston Martin after a string of disappointing results. Alonso was scoring podiums consistently at the start of the season. The 41-year-old wants to get back to that level and continue the team's push for a strong constructors' finish and is demanding the team do something about it.

"Sure, we have fallen in performance compared to the beginning of the season," Alonso said, as per Mundo Deportivo. "There is no doubt that we are suffering in these last few races, so we are working hard.”

“It is a moment to grit our teeth, to be focused, to try to understand everything that is happening in the car, the good things that we said at the beginning of the year that it is not there, what we have been able to improve to try to retain it...improve the car, in short"

‘BLUNT Aston Martin demand’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ce-form-slump/


Aston Martin admits studying latest Red Bull photos
26th July 2023, 08:22
Grandpx.news

Aston Martin does not deny taking another "good look" at detailed photos of the underside of Red Bull's dominant 2023 car. With photos of Sergio Perez's car as it was lifted by a crane in Monaco revealing the floor to be highly intricate. And teams got another good look at Perez's car once again last weekend in Hungary.

When asked if Aston Martin is reviewing those photos, technical boss Tom McCullough told Mundo Deportivo: "We always look at any photo as you try to understand how to develop. For this year or next year? It's an evolution.”

“What we do this year we will use for next year, and for elements like the floor we have more evolutions on the way for this year, just as other teams will. So, to answer your question”, McCullough added, “you always take a good look as we continue to bring updates to the car to improve performance this year.”

“It's an evolution”;

https://grandpx.news/aston-martin-ad...d-bull-photos/

[Fortitude]

Spa’s latest tragedy puts safety in the spotlight: Five Belgian GP talking points.
This weekend will have a different feel for several reasons. Tragedy struck at the circuit less than a month ago, as a crash claimed the life of young single-seater racer Dilano van ‘t Hoff, posing fresh questions over the dangers involved in racing at the historic track, especially in poor weather conditions.
26th July 2023, 7:15
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

Safety concerns over Spa and rain visibility: Formula 1 heads to Spa-Francorchamps this year with the mood likely to be much more serious and sombre than usual. Earlier this month a crash claimed the life of Formula Regional European Championship racer Dilano van ‘t Hoff, just a few hundred metres beyond the section of track where F2 driver Anthoine Hubert suffered a fatal crash four years earlier.

First Spa sprint race: This weekend in Spa, teams will get even less time to prepare their cars. For the third time in the opening 12 rounds of the season, teams will face a sprint weekend – the first to be held at the iconic Spa circuit.
Will Ferrari find form? …they appear to have been overtaken in the development race by both Mercedes and McLaren, who have shot up to become the closest challengers to Red Bull at each of the last two rounds in Britain and Hungary.

Alpine decline: Alpine were full of optimism heading into 2023. However, at the mid-point of the season, the team have faced a reality check as while their rivals are now competing for podiums, Alpine appear to have fallen into a mid-season slump.
Sargeant seeking first point: With Nyck de Vries being jettisoned from his AlphaTauri in favour of Daniel Ricciardo, Logan Sargeant remains the last rookie on the grid yet to score a championship point.

‘Five Belgian GP talking points’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/26/...alking-points/


Nico Rosberg makes big prediction ahead of Belgian Grand Prix
26 Jul 2023 9:30 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

If Red Bull are expecting a smooth ride to ending part one of the F1 2023 season undefeated, then 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg warns they should be wary of McLaren and Ferrari.

Put to him on the Sky F1 podcast that it is hard to look past another dominant Red Bull win in Belgium, Rosberg replied: “Yeah, probably. But at the same time, there can be surprises in Belgium, we’ve always seen that there can be real surprises. “And probably the team that has a chance to surprise will be McLaren, maybe someone like Ferrari in qualifying.”

‘Big prediction’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/nico-r...ction-belgium/


McLaren wary of Spa challenge amid improved pace
Wednesday 26th July, 2023 - 4:07pm
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

McLaren heads to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at the famed Spa-Francorchamps circuit wary of its chances despite three promising performances on the trot. That included a second podium in as many races for Lando Norris in Hungary last weekend in a performance confirming McLaren’s place towards the front of the grid.

Andrea Stella Team Principal of McLaren F1 Team: “Even if Spa is normally mentioned as one of the high-speed tracks, and so in reality, the highest speed corner, which is corner 10 is flat in qualifying. And there’s a lot of lap time in corner one (La Source) which is 80 kph in corner eight (Rivage), which is 100, and in the last chicane, which is 90 kph. I don’t want to repeat myself, but I go with some care because in these three corners, at the moment, we see that we lose time.”

“So in addition to the outright performance, it will be important how rapidly you adapt your car to the demand of the track,” Stella noted. “Spa is also a very demanding track in terms of understanding, for instance, you’re ride heights. Because, for example, in Eau Rouge, you can’t run too low because otherwise you would have problems under the car. How rapidly you can set up your car can make a difference for the entire week’s performance.”

‘McLaren wary’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/26...improved-pace/


Unpredictable Spa could pose threat to Red Bull’s latest record attempt
26 Jul 2023 7:30 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

The last race before F1’s mandatory summer break looks nailed on for another Red Bull win unless the weather gods interfere… Red Bull head to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium this weekend having set a new F1 record in Hungary by claiming their 12th Grand Prix victory in a row – albeit taking in the last race of 2022 into that unbeaten run.

They can set another all-time record this Sunday, if they win again, that of consecutive race wins in a single season. But, as is customary at Spa, the weather may have a big role to play over the course of the Belgian Grand Prix.

The predictable thing about a Spa weekend is the unpredictability of the weather, even in the earlier date slot the Belgian Grand Prix has been given this year, but the weather forecast does suggest rain showers are likely to disrupt the track action on all three days – rain is forecast during Friday’s qualifying, light showers during the Sprint, and similarly light rain at the start of the Grand Prix.

‘Predictable thing about a Spa weekend is the unpredictability of the weather’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/2023-b...-prix-preview/


Verstappen prepared for 'chaotic' Belgian GP Sprint
25 July 6:55PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

RacingNews365 takes a look at the potential headlines ahead of the sprint weekend at the 2023 F1 Belgian Grand Prix. Now is time for something a little bit different in Formula 1: the Belgian Grand Prix taking place before the summer break.

Traditionally, the trek to the middle of the Ardennes Forest has welcomed F1 back from the summer holidays, but in 2023, the race sends F1 on them. The Dutch Grand Prix has taken the end of August slot, with Spa now moving forward to round out the first-half of the campaign - which up until this point has been dominated by Max Verstappen and Red Bull.

To make matters worse for the chasing pack, Spa in 2022 was where the brilliance of Red Bull was unleashed. The 2022 Belgian Grand Prix was a tour de force from Verstappen who crushed the field in the RB18 on a weekend of unrivalled dominance. Quickest in Qualifying, he actually started 14th thanks to engine penalties, but by Lap 18 (including his pit-stop) was leading for good.

‘What to expect’;

https://racingnews365.com/what-to-ex...ian-grand-prix


Spa boost for Mercedes as Toto Wolff reveals upgrade plan
26 Jul 2023 4:15 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed that the next stage of the W14 upgrade plan arrives at the Belgian Grand Prix as the team look to bounce back from the missed opportunities of Hungary. “Hungary was a weekend of highs and lows,” said Wolff. “Our pace was strong on Saturday and Sunday, but we didn’t maximise that across the weekend.”

“Lewis produced a brilliant lap to take pole position. However, on Sunday, we were too conservative with some of our decisions and ultimately missed out on a podium. George meanwhile was compromised in qualifying but drove a strong race from P18 to take P6.”

“We also encountered cooling limitations across both cars; we likely had the second-fastest car, but we must execute better if we are to deliver our full potential. Nevertheless, we scored good points with both drivers, and consolidated our P2 Championship position.”

‘Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes upgrade plan’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...ades-mercedes/


Esteban Ocon: “We hope to bounce back quickly” in Belgium after consecutive double-retirements
July 26, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon discussed the disappointment of suffering a second consecutive double-retirement at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with him and team-mate Pierre Gasly getting caught up in a first lap incident which resulted in significant damage to both cars.

Esteban Ocon: “It was very frustrating for the entire team to have a double retirement on Sunday, especially in such circumstances so early into the race. There wasn’t much Pierre or I could do and we have no choice but to move on and focus on this weekend where we hope to bounce back quickly.”

Pierre Gasly: “Despite the significant impact of the crash on Sunday, I am feeling OK physically and very motivated to race in Belgium. Given this weekend’s Sprint format, we have the chance to take points on both Saturday and Sunday, so we will be doing all we can to maximise our opportunities.”

‘Hope to bounce back’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...e-retirements/

[Fortitude]

Danger at Spa circuit at F1 Belgian Grand Prix? “Worst emotion of my life” | “We see nothing, not exaggerating”.
“There are some changes which would make a difference,” said Charles Leclerc, who won his first F1 grand prix the day after Hubert’s death in 2019 and dedicated the moment to him.
27 Jul 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net

“The walls after the straights, after Eau Rouge, we should have more space. If you lose control you bounce on the walls - this is a change to consider. The two biggest problems? Visibility. It is difficult to put into words what we see.”

“We see nothing, we are not exaggerating, when it is raining. This is a big problem for motorsport in general. Single-seaters have a lot of downforce, there is a lot of spray, and a lot of incidents. It is difficult to find a solution.”

“We see nothing, not exaggerating”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103212...t-exaggerating


Drivers react as heavy rain threatens FP1 cancellation at Belgian GP
27 Jul 2023 4:08 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Heavy rain is forecast for Friday’s running at the Belgian GP, and with only one practice session available, this could pose a big problem for the teams and drivers. With the Belgian GP being a sprint weekend, the usual three hours of practice are knocked down to one before the cars go into parc fermé conditions for qualifying.

This makes the time to fine-tune car setup already much smaller than usual for the teams, but the possibility of that being removed altogether in heavy rain at the already fearsome Spa-Francorchamps has raised a few eyebrows among the drivers as they spoke ahead of the weekend.

Alfa Romeo driver and Hamilton’s former Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas added: “Similar thinking from my side. I think we rely obviously a lot on the FIA, and decisions being made, whether it’s about conditions and stuff.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez concluded: “It’s just important to to consider it, especially with the race conditions. Visibility can be really poor, so we are in the hands of our race director, nothing we can do now. So we just fully trust him.”

‘Heavy rain threatens FP1 cancellation’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/driver...p-rain-threat/


F1 stars voice concerns over safety at Belgian Grand Prix following recent tragedies
Thursday 27 Jul 2023 4:26 pm
Callum McAvoy
Metro.co.uk

A number of Formula One drivers have admitted they are concerned for their safety ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. In recent years there have been increasing worries about its safety, particularly at the famous Eau Rouge/Raidillon corners where they have been two fatal crashes in the past four years.

“I’m someone that is emotional,” Pierre Gasly, Alpine driver and a close friend of Hubert, said on Thursday. “I think I link places with emotions, and I’ve had the worst emotions of my life here. But at the same time, it’s one of my favourite tracks, so it’s very contradictory.”

Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have both called for the race to be cancelled should conditions severely affect visibility, with the latter saying: ‘We should be disciplined with safety. It is the No.1 priority. If it’s not safe to run, we must find solutions with a Safety Car.

‘F1 stars voice concerns over safety’;

https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/27/f1-st...o=newsnow-feed


Leclerc proposes safety changes ahead of latest Spa weekend
Friday 28th July, 2023 - 12:54am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

Just four weeks ago, however, and in atrocious conditions, 18-year-old Dilano van ‘t Hoff was killed following a multi-car collision at the exit of Raidillon leading onto the Kemmel Straight in a Formula Regional European Championship race.

The latest incident has led to additional question marks over the ongoing safety of Spa-Francorchamps, especially in bad weather, as is expected across the forthcoming weekend. “There are some changes that could make a difference,” said Leclerc.

Leclerc has also called on FIA race control and F1 to make the right calls should it find itself in a similar position as was the case in 2021 when it appeared pressure was being applied to get a race underway despite shocking conditions. The culmination was four laps behind the safety car before the ‘race’ was abandoned, which ensured points could be awarded. Leclerc feels there should not be a repeat.

‘Safety changes’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/28...afety-changes/


Ferrari announce personnel change ahead of Belgian GP
27 July 1:12PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

Ahead of the final race before the summer break, the Scuderia announced Mekies immediate departure, with his replacement named as new Sporting Director Diego Ioverno. "Laurent Mekies’ time at Scuderia Ferrari comes to an end this week," a statement read.

"The Racing Director will not be in Belgium and he leaves the Prancing Horse after four and a half seasons, during which time the team took seven wins. The entire team thanks him for his great contribution during those years.”

‘Ferrari announce personnel change’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-an...-of-belgian-gp


Mercedes' latest upgrade featuring reshaped sidepods breaks cover at F1 Belgian GP
27 Jul 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Mercedes’ latest F1 upgrade - featuring reshaped sidepods - has broken cover ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. Amid their ongoing push to close the gap to runaway championship leaders Red Bull, Mercedes have brought new updates to their revised W14 car for the final race before the F1 summer shutdown.

Images of a new sidepod inlet design were captured as the car was put together in the garage on Thursday in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock. This marks a significant update to Mercedes’ sidepod philosophy, which was changed altogether as part of a much bigger upgrade package introduced earlier this year in Monaco.

‘Reshaped sidepods’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103213...ver-belgian-gp

[Fortitude]

F1 drivers want ‘bold’ calls to delay/cancel Belgian GP sessions.
The risk of the Spa circuit in the wet means Formula 1 drivers want the FIA to be willing to take “bold” decisions about delaying or cancelling sessions at the Belgian Grand Prix.
28th July 2023, 09:31
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

No track changes have been made prior to the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex for the Belgian GP weekend with Grand Prix Drivers Association director George Russell claiming there is agreement among the drivers that the track layout itself should be retained.

However, with a wet weekend likely and any track running on Friday already guaranteed to begin in wet conditions, Russell is one of several drivers to have stressed that all parties should be OK with the FIA being cautious and delaying or cancelling sessions. “To have a race cancelled is not perfect but we don’t want another huge incident as we’ve just seen,” Russell said.

The Mercedes driver added: “Fortunately the weather looks better for Sunday and we’ll be going ahead. But following recent events I think the FIA have to be bold with their decisions when it comes to safety, when it comes to visibility. We know what the situation was two years ago [in 2021]. We don’t want it to be strung out as it was then. But we’re going to need some bold decisions.”

‘F1 drivers want ‘bold’ calls’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1-dr...n-gp-sessions/


George Russell calls for Belgian Grand Prix to be cancelled if rain makes the track unsafe following the recent death of Dilano van 't Hoff, 18, at Spa
• Drivers concerned about visibility in blinding spray with more rain forecast
• Dutch driver Dilano Van 'T Hoff died following a crash at Spa earlier this month
• The tragedy followed Anthoine Hubert's fatal accident in F2 four years ago
Updated: 23:00, 27 July 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy
Daily Mail

George Russell has raised the prospect of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix being called off owing to bad weather. Sensitivities here are heightened by the death at Spa four weeks ago of 18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano van 't Hoff in a Formula Regional European Championship race. The tragedy followed Anthoine Hubert's fatal accident in F2 four years ago.

Mercedes' Russell said: 'We don't want to see another huge incident like the one we have just had. We want to race, everybody wants to race, but when you go down that straight at over 200mph and you can't see 50 metres in front of you, there will be incidents, so the FIA have got a big responsibility this weekend.'

Forecasts suggest the rain may ease on Sunday, though the weather in the Ardennes is highly unpredictable.

‘Sensitivities here are heightened by the death at Spa four weeks ago of 18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano van 't Hoff’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ff-18-Spa.html


Spectre of cancellation hangs over Spa GP
28th July 2023, 08:14
ANDREW MAITLAND
Grandpx.news

The big buzzwords in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock as the Belgian GP weekend kicked off were rain and cancellation. “If it’s cancelled, it’s cancelled, and we’ll deal with it,” said Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.

Valtteri Bottas added: “Obviously visibility is the big one here if it’s raining, but that’s when someone else needs to control the drivers. Can they start the race or not?” And Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc said: “Safety comes first, and us drivers shouldn’t complain if we don’t get any laps if it is not safe to do so, with everything that has happened.”

Nico Hulkenberg says the drivers also have a responsibility this weekend to communicate directly with race director Niels Wittich on the radio. “He hears our comments,” said the Haas driver. “If 50 percent of us are saying it’s too dangerous, he’ll respect that. He knows we’re the best judges.”

“If it’s cancelled, it’s cancelled”;

https://grandpx.news/spectre-of-canc...s-over-spa-gp/


Glimmer of hope for Max Verstappen’s rivals with driver set to be penalised
28 Jul 2023 7:15 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Max Verstappen’s rivals have been given a look in the door ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, not because of their own gains but rather a five-place grid penalty that is said to await the runaway championship leader.

According to reports in the Dutch media, De Telegraaf’s Erik van Haren claims Verstappen will be collecting his first grid penalty of this season for changing parts as he moves on to his fifth gearbox. That means even if he clinches pole position in Friday evening’s qualifying, he will line up P6 for Sunday’s 44-lap Belgian Grand Prix.

Speaking to AD.nl prior to the Spa weekend, the Dutchman said: “We have a fast car when it is dry and when it rains. It will be wet this weekend, but I am looking forward to it. It’s a great track and it would be great if I could win here again.”

‘Penalty of this season for changing parts as he moves on to his fifth gearbox’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...y-rumours-spa/


Ban on tyre blankets would make Formula 1 “look so stupid” – Verstappen
28th July 2023, 7:15
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

Max Verstappen has warned Formula 1 risks making itself look “stupid” if it goes ahead with plans to ban the use of tyre warmers. F1 is keen to ban the use of tyre warmers to reduce freight and lower its energy consumption, as part of its goal to become a net zero emitter of carbon by 2030. It has observed how the paddock’s energy use spikes at points in the race weekend when teams heat large numbers of tyres.

However several drivers including Verstappen have questioned the need to ban tyre warmers and warned doing so could lead to an increase in crashes when drivers leave the pits on cold rubber. “I don’t think we should head in that direction because it is extremely difficult,” he told media including RaceFans. “People probably don’t know how difficult it is to drive a car with 1,000 horsepower out of the pits already. Especially when the track is also a bit slippery. It is not necessary. We already have [them], I don’t think it actually generates [consumes] a lot of energy, these kind of tyre blankets.”

Verstappen said the F1 paddock’s air conditioning requirements consume more energy than tyre heaters do. He also believes the compromises needed to make F1 tyres work without blankets will worsen the quality of racing.

‘F1 paddock’s air conditioning requirements consume more energy than tyre heaters do’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/28/...id-verstappen/


Apologetic Norris promises to be “more careful” after breaking Verstappen’s trophy
2023 Belgian Grand Prix
Posted on 27th July 2023, 20:45
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

Lando Norris says he be “a lot more careful” on the podium in future after accidentally breaking the race winner’s trophy last weekend in Hungary. The McLaren driver is known for celebrating by ‘spiking’ his champagne bottle in celebration on the podium. This involves slamming the bottle down on its base to eject a stream of liquid into the air.

“First of all, I do want to apologise for it,” Norris said ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. “I obviously had no intention of ever doing such a thing. And I know how much it means to the Hungarians and part of their culture and so forth. Of course I want to enjoy the time, but it was never my intention to do such a thing.”

The trophy manufacturers, Herendi Porcelanmanufaktura, are reportedly producing a replacement for Red Bull, who will take possession of the trophy instead of Verstappen. “We get a new one anyway so it’s alright,” said the championship leader.

‘Apologetic Lando Norris’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/27/...appens-trophy/

[Fortitude]

Sainz quickest, Sargeant crashes, Verstappen sets no time in wet practice.
Carlos Sainz Jnr set the fastest time in the practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix in a heavily wet hour of running.
2023 Belgian Grand Prix first practice
Posted on 28th July 2023, 13:47 | Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

The Ferrari driver posted the quickest lap of a 2’03.207 on full wet tyres as only 15 drivers completed timed laps – championship leader Max Verstappen being one of five drivers who did not set a time. Logan Sargeant crashed his Williams midway through the session, bringing out the red flags.

The anticipated rain arrived well before the start of the sole practice session for the weekend, leaving the track soaked by the time the green light appeared at the end of the pit lane to begin the hour. Alexander Albon was the first driver to take to the soggy circuit on intermediate tyres, but he was soon joined by Lewis Hamilton who played it safer with full wet tyres.

There were no improvements in the latter stages of the session, with only a handful of cars heading out in the final minutes to conduct practice starts. That left Sainz on top of the times, half a second quicker than Piastri and Norris in third. Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest in the second Ferrari, with Perez fifth in the Red Bull. Albon was sixth for Williams with Yuki Tsunoda seventh, Kevin Magnussen eighth, Daniel Ricciardo ninth and Nico Hulkenberg completing the top 10.

‘Sainz quickest’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/28/...-wet-practice/


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2023 Belgian Grand Prix
28th July 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -2:03.207
2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.585
3. Lando Norris McLaren +1.277
4. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +4.941
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +5.033
6. Alex Albon Williams Racing +5.187
7. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +5.860
8. Kevin Magnussen Haas +6.022
9. Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri +6.112
10. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +6.835

‘Belgian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the only practice session ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-...and-prix-82819


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix
28 July 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...8Vna5ODE1.html


Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix is at risk of being postponed, after heavy rain badly affected the morning practice session at Spa
• Friday's qualifying session could be delayed due to heavy rain in Belgium
• The morning practice session was difficult for drivers due to the torrential rain
• More rain is predicted on Saturday which may further disrupt the weekend
Updated: 14:13, 28 July 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy
Mailonine

Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, due to be held on Friday afternoon at 4pm BST, is in doubt with the Spa-Francorchamps circuit soaked by rain. An increasingly grey sky developed during practice, in which Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz set the fastest time, as persistent downfall intensified.

No driver completed more than eight laps during the hour-long session, with Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu hitting the barriers at the end of the Kemmel Straight.

The weather in the Ardennes is notoriously capricious, but the bad weather seemed well set. The FIA reacted to the conditions by confirming that they would prioritise qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix over Saturday’s sprint shootout and race if required.

‘Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix is at risk of being postponed’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...e-session.html


Sergio Perez may be gifted Belgian GP pole with weather set to cause chaos
Sergio Perez may secure pole position without setting a lap time with qualifying under threat from the weather.
13:12, Fri, Jul 28, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Sergio Perez could be gifted pole position for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix if qualifying is cancelled due to heavy rain. The FIA has confirmed the grid would be determined based on championship order if rain forces officials to not run the session. This would put Perez on pole with Max Verstappen handed a five-place grid drop for using too many gearbox parts.

Fernando Alonso would start on the front row followed by the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. According to AccuWeather, thunderstorms are predicted for most of the afternoon. There is a yellow weather warning in place for rain on Friday afternoon and much of Saturday. The Met Office reports that there is a 40 percent chance of rain for the rest of the day.

The FIA have told teams that FP1 would not be used to determine the grid with the one-hour practice considered not a competitive session. The FIA has confirmed the priority is to run qualifying for the Grand Prix and could move to cancel other sessions if needed.

‘Weather set to cause chaos’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-prix-weather

[Fortitude]

Charles Leclerc takes Belgian Grand Prix pole as Max Verstappen slapped with F1 penalty.
Max Verstappen knew his best Belgian Grand Prix starting position would be sixth, having taken an extra gearbox which came with a five-place grid penalty for the championship leader.
17:17, 28 Jul 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Charles Leclerc will start the Belgian Grand Prix on pole position with Max Verstappen down in sixth thanks to a grid penalty. The Dutchman was quickest overall with a storming lap in Q3. But he drops five places on the grid for Sunday's main race after taking an extra gearbox for this weekend, exceeding his allowance for the season.

Leclerc was second quickest to secure only his second pole of the season. And Sergio Perez will join the Monegasque on the front row of the grid, exorcising his qualifying demons to pip Lewis Hamilton, meaning the Brit will start third.

Verstappen very nearly didn't survive Q2 without a hitch. He was only 10th fastest in that middle part of the session, and duly responded to almost going out of the session with a rant over the radio at his Red Bull team.

‘Charles Leclerc will start the Belgian Grand Prix on pole position’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ilton-30578061


Qualifying Results – 2023 Belgian Grand Prix
28th July 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:46.168
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.820
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.877
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.919
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.984
6. Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.197
7. Lando Norris McLaren +1.501
8. George Russell Mercedes +1.637
9. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.675
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.673

‘Belgian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for Sunday’s 2023 F1 World Championship race around Spa-Francorchamps’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-82832


Starting grid for F1 Belgian Grand Prix: How the race will begin
28 Jul 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net

Here’s the starting grid for Sunday’s F1 Belgian Grand Prix. Is Red Bull’s winning streak set to end?
1. Charles Leclerc
2. Sergio Perez
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Oscar Piastri
6. Max Verstappen
7. Lando Norris
8. George Russell
9. Fernando Alonso
10. Lance Stroll

‘Starting grid’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103227...ace-will-begin


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix
28 July 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...XwEuAarC2.html


How qualifying for the 2023 F1 Belgian Grand Prix unfolded
28th July 2023, 16:23
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

‘How qualifying unfolded’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/live/how-qu...-prix-unfolded


Lewis Hamilton 'under investigation' after George Russell near-miss at Belgian GP
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are set to be investigated after an incident at the Belgian Grand Prix.
17:00, Fri, Jul 28, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Lewis Hamilton will be investigated by the FIA after a near-miss with George Russell in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton ran wide on the exit of Eau Rouge and appeared to rejoin the circuit just in front of his team-mate.

Race stewards quickly noted the incident but soon confirmed they would be holding a full investigation. Towards the end of Q2, race control confirmed the turn four incident involving Hamilton and Russell would be investigated after the session.

Onboard footage from Russell’s car shows the ex-Williams star was forced to ease off the throttle to avoid a collision. Hamilton qualified P4 on Friday evening with Russell only quick enough for eighth.

'Under investigation';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...estigation-fia


Ricciardo suffers NIGHTMARE qualifying session at the Belgian Grand Prix
Friday 28 July 2023 17:40
Dan Ripley
GPFans

Daniel Ricciardo endured a miserable qualifying session in just his second qualifying session back in Formula 1 after being dumped out in the first session at the Belgian Grand Prix. On a wet track, the times tumbled as the track gradually dried during Q1 at Spa, and the Australian looked to have secured a sixth spot to move into Q2.

However, the Australian had his lap time deleted after running slightly wide off track after Eau Rouge at the top of the hill into Radillon meaning he will start Sunday's race on the back row in 19th alongside the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg.

‘NIGHTMARE qualifying session’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...q1-alphatauri/


McLaren ban Nico Rosberg from Belgian Grand Prix garage after Lewis Hamilton incident
Rosberg is often on duty at F1 race weekends in his role as a pundit for broadcasters including Sky Sports, and has been noted for being an apparent 'curse' for some teams
16:37, 28 Jul 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

McLaren erected a sign banning Nico Rosberg from taking selfies outside their garage in a tongue-in-cheek joke at the Belgian Grand Prix. The German is a welcome face in the Formula 1 paddock as the sport's 2016 champion. And he is often in attendance at races given his role as a pundit for Sky Sports.

But his presence is only welcome in certain circumstances it seems. His punditry is encouraged, but selfies in front of the team garages appear to be off limits these days. That's certainly the case at McLaren. The Woking-based team is taking the 'Rosberg curse' seriously after Lewis Hamilton became its latest victim last weekend in Hungary.

The 'curse' has become a talking point on social media. Fans have noticed that snaps posted by Rosberg on his own channels of himself in front of a specific team's garage is often followed by on-track misfortune for that team. It happened twice in Budapest last weekend. Before qualifying, the German snapped himself in front of Max Verstappen's car – only for the Dutchman to then miss out on pole position for the first time in two months.

'Rosberg curse';

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...orris-30578246

[Fortitude]

Verstappen 'exploded' after 'married couple' argument – Marko.
"It was like an old married couple," joked Marko. "They argued for a while about when to go. But now everything is all right again.”
28 July 9:00PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko hailed Max Verstappen's Belgian Grand Prix qualifying 'explosion' after the F1 championship leader obliterated the field. The Dutchman finished eight-tenths faster than nearest challenger Charles Leclerc on a drying track at Spa-Francorchamps.

But Verstappen will provisionally start Sunday's Grand Prix sixth on the grid having taken a new gearbox for the event, promoting the Ferrari driver to pole. "We didn't have a flawless Q2, it was close. But in Q3 Max 'exploded', which was an incredible demonstration. We actually expected that a little bit," Marko told Sky Sports DE.

"I think he was the best in all three sectors. He had one mistake in turn nine and his first corner was not optimal once as well. But he registers that and Max only makes those mistakes once. When the pressure is on, he delivers."

‘Delivers’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...argument-marko


'It was super-tricky' – Sergio Perez reflects on rain-affected Belgian GP qualifying
28 Jul 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Sergio Perez admits "Q3 was very tricky" but the Red Bull driver will start the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix from the front row alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

‘Super-tricky';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...467710281.html


Winners and losers from the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix qualifying
28 Jul 2023 8:00 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Max Verstappen claimed his eighth pole position of the F1 2023 season in Friday’s Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session at Spa. The Red Bull driver’s lap for pole was a massive eight tenths faster than Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari – but Verstappen will start Sunday’s race from sixth after incurring a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his gearbox allocation.

Think that will stop him? Think again. Here are the main winners and losers from Spa qualifying… And so another qualifying session ends with Verstappen and Red Bull on top, yet this time it wasn’t quite so comfortable as the final timesheet made it look.

In fact, at one stage – the dying moments of Q2 – it was positively uncomfortable as Verstappen only just held on to his Q3 place in 10th spot, resulting in the mother of all team radio rants directed at race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

‘Winners and losers’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/wi...ix-qualifying/


Ricciardo made error behind Q1 exit while ‘trying to take Eau Rouge full throttle’
2023 Belgian Grand Prix
Posted on 28th July 2023, 20:13
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Daniel Ricciardo admitted he made the mistake which led to his elimination in the first round of qualifying while trying to take one of spa’s most notorious corners flat-out in wet conditions. The AlphaTauri driver, in his second race since returning to Formula 1, qualified on the back row of the grid after his final flying lap in Q1 was deleted because he put all four wheels off the track at the exit of Raidillon.

“Basically I tried to take Eau Rouge full [throttle],” Ricciardo explained afterwards. “I entered full and I felt the car start to move and so I had a little lift and it just put me a bit off-line. Then I was kind of on the wetter part of the track and I couldn’t really do much more. I kind of just had to let the car and go. I tried to save it but…

“It’s frustrating, obviously,” he said. “On one hand, this is quali, you’ve obviously got to try. My intentions were good to try and take it full, I thought it could have been done. But a little error then put us out.”

“Basically I tried to take Eau Rouge full [throttle]”;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/28/...full-throttle/


How Lando Norris self-sabotaged his Belgian GP
Lando Norris went off at Stavelot during Q1 at the Belgian GP.
28 July 2023
by Nick Golding

Norris was relieved to have made it into the top 10 given his off in Q1. “I went off in Q1 and completely destroyed the floor, so I’m happy to have made it to Q3 and only be a couple of tenths off what Oscar did,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.

“I think he did a good job. His middle sector was very strong. We were very poor in the straights. There’s wins and losses, but I’m happy. It could have been a lot worse, I could have been out in Q1, so I’ll take P7.”

Norris was then asked just how much of his floor he damaged, to which he revealed that the entire thing had sustained damage. “The whole thing. Normally, you can repair it [under parc ferme rules],” Norris revealed.

‘Self-sabotaged’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/how-lando...is-belgian-gp/


Ted Kravitz offers ‘only explanation’ for baffling Alpine timing on management sackings
28 Jul 2023 8:15 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Sky F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz cannot fathom why Alpine chose to announce the exits of Otmar Szafnauer and Alan Permane during the Belgian GP weekend, unless they actually did want maximum attention.

Kravitz suggested the folk at Alpine were very much trying to keep a low profile with the media in Belgium, which then made him question why they would break the news in the middle of a race weekend if they did not want the attention.

The only explanation he could think of then is that parent brand Renault did want to generate attention and “make the biggest splash possible” as they set about trying to reroute the ship after what has been a very disappointing F1 2023 campaign so far for Alpine.

‘Only explanation’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ted-kr...ment-sackings/