F1 Journal Belgian Grand Prix- Friday Round Up

Practice-

In true Spa-Francorchamp style the only practice session the teams have this Sprint weekend was very, VERY, VERY  WET. So teams like Mercedes and Mclaren who have bought updates this weekend stood no chance of doing any meaningful testing. Instead it was about getting to grips with navigating the rivers that flow around a very wet Spa and are predicted to make multiple appearances this weekend. 
As the timer started rain was starting to fall after a brief period of sunny skies but the track was very wet after  a torrential down pour during the Formula 2 practice session.
Cars started to hit the track and with in minutes they started to aquaplane, Albon couldn't brake at La source and found himself needing to find reverse. Shortly after Gasly had a very similar incident at Le Combes and just 8 minutes later Sargeant hit the wall on the kemmel straight as the rain worsened and running for all cars stopped till close to the end of the session when Perez, Alonso & Stroll went out for sighter laps but the risk out weighed the reward and they all went back into the pits without completing a timed lap. At the end drivers braved the bettering conditions to do practice starts but the running was minimal at best for all the teams.

Practice Result 

1- SAI
              2- PIA
3- NOR
              4- LEC
5- PER
              6- ALB
7- TSU
              8- MAG
9- RIC
             10- HUL
11- ALO
              12- HAM
13-RUS
              14- BOT
15- ZHO
              16- SAR
17- STR
              18-GAS
19- OCO
              20-VER

Qualifying - For Sunday Feature Race 

Q1-

Qualifying started with a lot of excitement for what the Mclarens could do and the news of Max Verstappen taking a 5 place grid penalty for taking additional gearbox components had the grid excited for getting a good result.. The start was delayed by 10 minutes to wait for standing water to clear but when the cars finally got out to start Q1 the intermediate was the tyre of choice and  the times started coming thick and fast. Norris took a trip into the gravel trap on a flying lap and pitted to check for damage to his floor, mean while team mate Oscar Piasti was pumping in fastest sectors and laps. Lando got back out with 4 minutes to go and by this time the track was beginning to improve significantly and all the drivers where out to set a fast lap before the predicted rain started to fall. The times started to tumble but it was Charles Leclerc who topped the Q1 times sheet deespite cutting it very fine to set the fastest time of the session.. With Daniel Ricciardo narrowly not getting in after setting a time good enough for 6th only to have it deleted for breaking track limits at turn 3. 

Q1 Result 

1- LEC
        2-VER
3-HAM
        4-SAI
5-ALO
         6-PIA
7-PER
         8-RUS
9-TSU
         10-BOT
11- GAS
​         12-OCO
13-STR
         14-NOR
15- MAG
         16-ALB
17-ZHO
          18-SAR
19-RIC
          20- HUL
           

Q2-

Q2 started with a drying track and the news both Lewis Hamilton and Alex Albon were being investigated for 'rejoining the track in an unsafe manner', no further action for Lewis and a reprimand for Albon meant both escaped with no penalties for the incidents.
By the 7 minutes to go mark the track was switching from inters to slicks and Bottas was the first man to take the leap followed by both Mclarens and then almost the whole field with Lando Norris bailing on a timed lap to make the switch to slicks as soon as possible. Although he had been good all day it was at this point in the session Piastri came alive and was setting some stonking sectors. 2 minutes to go Ocon hit the wall  after the "corner with no name" damaging his front wing end plate .Leclerc again cut it fine after being impeded by Kevin Magnussen who was later punished for it with a 3 place grid penalty. But Q2 belonged to Oscar Piastri. With Verstappen only just scrapping through in 10th.

Q2 Result

1- PIA
             2-SAI
3-LEC
             4- STR
5- NOR   
             6- HAM
7- PER
             8- RUS
9- ALO
​             10- VER
11-TSU
              12- GAS
13- MAG
               14- BOT
15- OCO

Q3

The start of Q3 was delayed by 10 minutes to clean up after the Q2 Ocon incident which as it turned out was just enough time for Max Verstappen to have a short but firm rant to Engineer GP which he later apologized for. After a strong start to the session for both Mclarens it wasnt meant to be as the Ferrari's and the Redbull of Verstappen found their form and after the first round of flying laps the Ferrari of Leclerc was on provisional pole. 
The Ferraris lead the 10 remaining cars out for the last round of flying laps and both set mighty runs, while a rapid Oscar Piastri was on a great lap, but as was Perez, Hamilton and Max Verstappen who set a monumental lap to set the pole lap and minimize the effect his 5 place penalty has for Sundays race.  

Q3 Result

1- VER
              2- LEC
3- PER
              4- HAM
5- SAI
              6- PIA
7- NOR
               8- RUS
9- ALO
​              10- STR

Grid After Penalties Have Been Applied  

1- LEC
              2- PER
3- HAM
             4-SAI
5-PIA
             6- VER (5 place penalty)
7-NOR
             8-RUS
9-ALO
            10- STR
11-TSU
             12- GAS 
13-BOT
             14- OCO
15- ALB
             16- MAG (3 place penalty)
17-ZHO
             18- SAR
19- RIC
             20- HUL

Now we look forward to the Sprint day tomorrow starting with the Sprint Shoot out setting the grid for the 15 lap Sprint race later in the day, but expect the weather to play it's part in both sessions tomorrow and hopefully give us an exciting Belgian Sprint  Saturday.


Joanna Blackmore 
Writer @ F1 Journal