2017 Belgian Grand Prix

[AndyL]

Wake up everyone, we're back! The forest of the Ardennes is echoing with the thunder of F1 engines once again. Well, OK, it's mildly disturbed by the murbling of four-pot hybrids once again.

Poor old Felipe-baby has managed all of 3 laps in P1 before crashing his Williams, but fortunately the team has celebrity truck mechanic Guy Martin on hand this weeked to fix it.

Fernando had an engine problem after just 5 minutes. It's like we've never been away. McLaren were able to fix it, however, and he's back out now.

[airshifter]

It seems like the entire forum took a long break as well after the last race. :laugh:

I'm really looking forward to the race. It's long been one of my favorite tracks. What's not to like about the fastest corner in road racing?

I feel bad for Alonso. Though I think he's been a prick and a snake at times, there is no doubt he can drive just about any car he gets in. Spa is just a terrible track to take that dog of a Honda engine, and after his high finish (all things considered) at Hungary, it's almost like setting him up to be dissapointed again. On the flip side, maybe RB and a couple others will find the handling/power balance to at least have a shot at keeping up near the leaders.

[Tazio]

Alright summer break is over and it's time for quali. I wonder if Merc will find 2 or three tenths ln q3. Welcome back dawgz! :dog:

[Tazio]

Boss just put in a blinder!

[AndyL]

Palmer going really well all weekend, and then his car breaks in Q3. He has no luck.

[AndyL]

Boss just put in a blinder!

He's going to take some stopping round here.

[AndyL]

Kimi beeped it up

[Tazio]

What a final lap by Lewis :eek:

[The Black Knight]

Amazing lap from Lewis to match the great Michael Schumachers pole record.

Going to be an interesting race. Raikkonen bottles it once again wen it matters the most. He's absolutely useless. It's no wonder Ferrari has kept him for another season. They love a very second rate number two driver.

[Warriwa]

It's been too long. My heart rate is up. Bring it.

[Koz]

Hey guys!

[Tazio]

Here we go gents!

[Tazio]

Fred up to p7

[steveaki13]

Haha Fernando is embarrassed again.

Nought new there I guess.

Haas now breezing past Fred

[steveaki13]

Max retires again. You wonder what is going on with his car.

[Tazio]

Come on Lewis!

[The Black Knight]

Raikkonen nearly a pit stop behind on lap 13. What an utter embarrassment that man is to the sport soort. Totally waste of a top seat.

[AndyL]

Raikkonen nearly a pit stop behind on lap 13. What an utter embarrassment that man is to the sport soort. Totally waste of a top seat.

He got Vettel onto the front row.

[Tazio]

Kimi spanked by stewards

[N4D13]

Kimi spanked by stewards
And quite the hard spank it was. It feels too stringent and makes you question why there was a double yellow there to begin with, but it doesn't change the fact that the yellows were there for everybody and only him failed to slow down.

[Koz]

Wow. Alonso just quit.

I don't know what to think... This is just disgraceful from Alonso too...

[AndyL]

And quite the hard spank it was. It feels too stringent and makes you question why there was a double yellow there to begin with, but it doesn't change the fact that the yellows were there for everybody and only him failed to slow down.

Tough but fair I think, there were marshals working in an exposed area.

[N4D13]

Wow. Alonso just quit.

I don't know what to think... This is just disgraceful from Alonso too...
He's just said on Spanish TV that he lost power without warning.

[gm99]

The Force India drivers once again in contention for donkeys of the race. Idiots.

[AndyL]

He's just said on Spanish TV that he lost power without warning.

You have to wonder if he had no power because he couldn't be bothered to press the throttle any more.
Apparently he asked if any rain was forecast, got told no, then shortly afterwards retired.

[N4D13]

The Force India drivers once again in contention for donkeys of the race. Idiots.
Although I think it's just Pérez - he pulled that crap out in lap 1 and he's done it again. I wish he got a harsh penalty for that kind of mindless driving.

[AndyL]

The Force India drivers once again in contention for donkeys of the race. Idiots.

Oh boy, they have a serious HR problem right now. I fear it may be so far gone the only solution is to get rid of one of the drivers.

[N4D13]

Oh boy, they have a serious HR problem right now. I fear it may be so far gone the only solution is to get rid of one of the drivers.
I was thinking that right now, but the thing is that they don't really have a suitable replacement who won't lose them points in the WCC. It's super difficult to jump into a car and be competitive without proper testing beforehand.

[Koz]

He's just said on Spanish TV that he lost power without warning.

Don't buy it, he asked about rain and just pitted?

[AndyL]

I was thinking that right now, but the thing is that they don't really have a suitable replacement who won't lose them points in the WCC. It's super difficult to jump into a car and be competitive without proper testing beforehand.

Otmar just saying that's the end of the two of them being allowed to race each other, it will be team orders between them for the rest of the season.

[The Black Knight]

Bottas asleep at the restart.

Fantastic performance by Hamiltom this race. I don't think Vettel can pass him now. Hamilton has the speed at the end of the straight. We'll see.

[AndyL]

Don't buy it, he asked about rain and just pitted?

He already said it was nothing more than a test session on about lap 3 didn't he. I guess rain was the only thing that might have made it a race again for Fernando.

[AndyL]

Bottas asleep at the restart.


I think that's unfair, he got shown the door at Raidillon by Ricciardo and Raikkonen.

[The Black Knight]

I think that's unfair, he got shown the door at Raidillon by Ricciardo and Raikkonen.
He should have been up Vettel's gear box at the restart.

[longisland]

Driver of the race - Hamilton. Broke the track record, took pole, equal Schumachers pole record, fended off Vettels attack in the restart. Job done.
Donkey of the day - Perez, Mclaren & Redbull
Pass of the day - Alonso on Hulkenberg

[The Black Knight]

Driver of the race - Hamilton. Broke the track record, took pole, equal Schumachers pole record, fended off Vettels attack in the restart. Job done.
Donkey of the day - Perez, Mclaren & Redbull
Pass of the day - Alonso on Hulkenberg

Perez is being shown up this year by a teammate whom is better than him. He is no longer able to hide behind the "I wasn't ready for McLaren" rubbish he spouted. That was only possible when he had a weak teammate like Hulkenberg. The cracks are showing and once again he is clearly not up to the level of his teammate, nevermind the top guys.

[truefan72]

Although I think it's just Pérez - he pulled that crap out in lap 1 and he's done it again. I wish he got a harsh penalty for that kind of mindless driving.

agreed. just because they are teammates is no excuse for the stewards not to hand him a deserving penalty.

[The Black Knight]

Driver of the day clearly Hamilton.

There are two donkeys for me

1) Perez for obvious reasons
2) Raikkonen - he was nearly an entire pit stop behind his teammate after 16 laps. Ignored yellow flags to get a ten second stop go and then is too stupid to see why he got the penalty in post race press conferences. The man is a has been and it's tragic to see as he is wasting a top seat drive where you could slot in a deserving driver such as Ocon or Sainz.

[gm99]

Perez is being shown up this year by a teammate whom is better than him. He is no longer able to hide behind the "I wasn't ready for McLaren" rubbish he spouted. That was only possible when he had a weak teammate like Hulkenberg. The cracks are showing and once again he is clearly not up to the level of his teammate, nevermind the top guys.

I disagree. Perez has thoroughly outqualified (10:2) and outscored Ocon (even though he came off worse in the incidents between them at Baku and Spa). I don't really see him not being up to the level of his teammate.

[N4D13]

Honda confirms that there was no problem with Alonso's engine: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/131488/honda-found-no-problem-with-alonso-engine.

[zako85]

The thing I start to wonder about McLaren is how much worse should things get before the sponsors and investors start fleeing them effectively turning this struggling team into another "Williams". Just notice how much money McLaren is going to start losing after this season from the TV rights fund which distributes money based on recent points performance. We're talking about tens of millions. If this continues, they're going to stop hiring drivers like Alonso, and start hiring pay-drivers like Maldonado, because Perez wouldn't drive for them.

[Zico]

Honda confirms that there was no problem with Alonso's engine: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/131488/honda-found-no-problem-with-alonso-engine.


I'm not sure what is most embarrassing for Honda, their star driver retiring the car because it is effectively going backwards.. or that it had a technical problem.

Is there still no hint as to where their breakthrough is going to come from?

[Duncan]

Honda confirms that there was no problem with Alonso's engine: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/131488/honda-found-no-problem-with-alonso-engine.

Apart from the fact that it sucks, obviously.

[Duncan]

I'm not sure what is most embarrassing for Honda, their star driver retiring the car because it is effectively going backwards.. or that it had a technical problem.

Indeed. And if the performance gap was this big at Spa, what's it going to be like at Monza next weekend? Could be really embarrassing.