In an exciting development for the Dutchman, there is positive news on the horizon. However, he will face a setback this weekend due to a ten-place grid penalty. This penalty stems from Red Bull’s decision to install a fifth new Internal Combustion Engine in his RB20, which exceeds the allowable number according to regulations for the season.
Nonetheless, if Verstappen maintains his impressive performance, he will surely be a contender for victory on Sunday. As he has demonstrated in the past, he has the ability to triumph even when starting from a low position on the grid, as evidenced by his win from 14th place in 2022.
Piastri, driving for McLaren, secured the second-fastest time in qualifying, but he trailed Verstappen by over half a second. A surprise performance came from Alex Albon in the Williams, who claimed third place.
George Russell, representing Mercedes, achieved the fourth-fastest time. Despite the team introducing upgrades for this race, Russell expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of his W15 during extended runs.
Lewis Hamilton, who experienced bouncing during his long runs, finished in fifth place. Charles Leclerc followed in sixth position, with Perez in seventh.
Lando Norris had a disappointing session and ended up in eighth place, ahead of Carlos Sainz in ninth and Lance Stroll in tenth.
As Formula 1 reaches the halfway point of its longest season to date, with 24 races, the anticipation builds as the sport heads to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix, the final race before the summer break.
With ten races remaining after this one, fans can expect thrilling competition. McLaren continues to make strides, Mercedes is experiencing a resurgence, and the actions of Ferrari remain uncertain. Meanwhile, Red Bull aims to regain its dominance.
The aftermath of the Hungarian Grand Prix, which was a nightmare for Verstappen and his team, adds an intriguing element to the upcoming race. Additionally, Perez has one last opportunity to prove his worth and secure his seat for the remainder of the season.
In other team news, Alpine has attracted attention due to potential changes on the horizon. It appears that they are on the verge of relinquishing their power unit operation and becoming a customer of Mercedes. Furthermore, rumors suggest that Bruno Famin, their current boss, may be departing.
Regarding driver updates, Esteban Ocon has been confirmed to join Haas, while Hulkenberg received a surprise when he learned that Andreas Seidl, whom he believed would be his boss, will not be involved in Audi’s F1 project. Instead, ex-Ferrari man Mattia Binotto has taken the helm.
Exciting news surrounds the sport, and as for the racing itself, Spa-Francorchamps has undergone resurfacing ahead of the grand prix. This change introduces a new variable for teams and drivers to contend with – the adjustment to the grip levels on the track.
Pirelli has provided their mid-range tire compounds for the weekend: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), and C4 (Soft).
[Image: Pirelli Motorsport Twitter post with an image of the new track surface at Spa-Francorchamps]
In terms of car upgrades, only seven teams have introduced new components to their vehicles. Mercedes, for instance, has implemented a fresh diffuser, floor edge, beam wing, front wing, and Halo. Meanwhile, Ferrari has made adjustments to their front and rear wings to adhere to Spa’s requirements. McLaren, on the other hand, has focused on track-specific modifications to their beam wing, rear wing, and rear brake duct furniture to reduce drag. Alpine, in addition to their eye-catching livery, has introduced a range of new track-specific features including a front wing, engine cover, beam wing, rear wing, mirror, and revised rear brake ducts. VCARB has opted for a low drag rear wing, beam wing, and winglet profiles on the rear corner, while Haas has developed track-specific rear and beam wings. Sauber has continued their car upgrades with new mirrors, floor fence, front wing, and rear and beam wings. Red Bull, who previously upgraded their RB20 in Hungary, will not be utilizing all of those parts this weekend as they are not suitable for Spa’s low downforce requirement.
The session got underway with clear conditions and track temperatures reaching 36 degrees Celsius, while the air temperature stood at 22 degrees. The teams began the session using a combination of Hard and Medium compounds. However, just a few minutes into the session, Alpine encountered an issue with Ocon’s car, which features a distinctive Deadpool & Wolverine livery. Ocon was promptly called back into the pits, and the Alpine mechanics began working on the vehicle, which was soon raised on jacks in the garage. Ricciardo also had a moment during the session, spinning at Turn 1 but managing to avoid any significant damage. Unfortunately, he did flat spot his Hard tires in the process.
As the session progressed, the Alpine mechanics continued their work on Ocon’s car, addressing what was reported as a “suspected water leak.” Leclerc, on the other hand, expressed his dissatisfaction with his engineer, instructing him not to speak during fast laps. It is worth noting that Leclerc’s engineer, Bryan Bozzi, is a new addition to the team and has been working with the Monegasque driver since May. Around the midway point of the session, several teams made setup changes and introduced the Soft tires. Russell was the first to take to the track on the red-walled tires, with Verstappen closely following suit. Russell initially claimed the top spot, but Verstappen quickly surpassed him, setting a time that was eight tenths faster. Piastri also put in an impressive performance, securing the second-fastest time and closing the gap to the leading Red Bull by a tenth. Perez, who is in need of a strong weekend at Spa, managed to secure the fifth-fastest time during his push lap.
Perez, on the contrary, was nearly one second slower than his teammate in his initial lap on Softs. He expressed his difficulty in understanding the car’s behavior during corner entries, regardless of the speed.
“The sensation of what is happening eludes me,” complained the Mexican.
Norris experienced a significant lockup during his run on Softs and only managed to secure the eighth fastest time.
Lando locks up ️
Currently, Norris is still getting accustomed to this session as he holds the eighth position. #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/zea0HbJmBJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 26, 2024
With 20 minutes left, Alpine confirmed that Ocon would not continue participating due to the extensive repairs required for the car.
At this stage of the session, the teams returned to the track for longer runs with heavier fuel loads.
Alonso questioned whether there was an issue with his engine, as he was surprised by his speed in sector one, while Russell expressed his dissatisfaction with the rear end stability of his W15.
Hamilton encountered a moment at Turn 5, where he went straight at the Les Combes Chicane and promptly reported, “I need to come in. The bouncing is extremely severe.”
Tsunoda also faced difficulties, reporting oversteer in some corners and understeer in others.
Report currently underway…
