Belgian Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Perfection is not enough

I know I've said it plenty before, but Nico Rosberg must really wonder by now what he has to do. If the Goddess Fortune was smiling his way in the opening few rounds of this season, her gaze definitely has been elsewhere more lately.

Photo: Octane Photography

And it seems she instead saves her grin instead for Nico's team mate. While Lewis Hamilton starting in 21st (due to a myriad of engine penalties) and coming through to finish third sounds like a spectacular run, really it wasn't. Really, things came to him. Just as if the afore-mentioned Lady Luck had her eyes right on his Merc.

Nico's Spa race was perfection, and he did his best to put a brave face on it all. But even he let on as to the frustration that Lewis, somehow, came out of the Spa weekend rather smelling of roses...

I give my take on it all in my latest Motor Verso race review, which you can read here: http://www.motorverso.com/belgian-gp-2016-review-perfection-not-enough/

Do check out the Motor Verso site too; you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out week-long test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Both Mercedes Drivers Got Lucky In Spa

Yes, we're the first ones to say it - both Mercedes drivers got lucky in Spa. Nico Rosberg won his 20th Grand Prix because of Lewis Hamilton's grid penalties. In the same breath, we've got to agree that Hamilton was lucky to make it to the podium (from P21) thanks to the Safety Car period and the red flag. Though we wonder why Lewis Hamilton didn't win the 44 lap Grand Prix, if 44 is his lucky number! Only 9 points separate the duo, which way will the remainder of the season go?

Formula 1 returned after the summer break with a bang at Spa - it was a race of collisions and crashes (mostly into Ferraris). Was Vettel at fault at the first corner? Vettel should have a 'How to Overtake Max Verstappen' class with mandatory attendance for Raikkonen.

Max Verstappen has been accused of dangerous driving, but of course the FIA won't do anything about it. He's THE crowd puller, at the moment. Though Niki Lauda believes that Max needs to visit a psychiatrist! Lauda says that he will call Jos if Max does not listen - Parent Teacher Meeting for the teenager in Monza? Also, did the young sensation not win the 'Driver of the Day' in Spa because his entire Orange Army was at the race track? Of course, Hamilton did find support in his Barmy Army.

Force India love affair with Spa continued, though Hulkenberg may have been robbed of a podium finish. The team's survival is in question if Sergio Perez moves teams in 2017. Maybe finishing 4th in the Constructors' Championship will earn them the deficit.

Will Kevin Magnusen be fit for Monza - and if not, will Renault make the popular decision of getting Carmen Jorda to drive? And was Fernando Alonso's P22 to P7 more noteworthy than Hamilton's recovery drive? With newer talent gaining popularity and faster cockpits, will Alonso have a chance for his final flourish at all?

Over the summer break, we learnt that Bernie Ecclestone plans to sell Formula 1's radio messages (with a premium charge for listening to Raikkonen's radio?). On that note, Minttu signed up for a lifetime of realtime Raikkonen humour! Hamilton hung out with Nicole over summer, and she was a real-life Pussy Cat (Doll). Also, our favourite moment of the summer break, Ricciardo calling bullshit on Hamilton's tweet!

Nico Rosberg has never won at Monza, will it be yet another 'first' for him? And will Hamilton equalise Fangio and Senna's record for maximum poles? There's a lot of Formula 1 this week and on our podcast, tune in!

(Season 2016, Episode 27)

Monza Preview: F1's soul survivor

The modern F1 calendar, to put it euphemistically, divides opinion. But in this two-week period after the summer break these days you will hardly find a murmur of objection. The stops-offs suddenly feel recognisable and wonderful; embodying a lot of what F1 is, or should be. We've just been to Spa of course, and this weekend coming we'll be in Monza, the venue for the Italian Grand Prix. And so a lot feels right in F1. Enjoy it while it lasts.

What is it about Monza? Well, if you need to ask...
Photo: Octane Photography

So what is it about Monza? Why does just about anyone whose heart has beaten a little faster for a racing car anticipate this round like no other? On a certain level it's a tricky one to explain as there are a good few things not to like about it. The venue lacks the gleaming modernity of the newer ones. The place has never entirely shaken its sense of vague chaos. Certain aspects of the crowd aren't to everyone's taste. Unlike Spa's its layout isn't all that much of a driving challenge these days. It can't even really be counted on to produce a wonderful race.

But still the original question puts in mind, as Louis Armstrong said when asked to define 'swing', that if you have to ask then you'll never know...

Belgian GP Report - Bittersweet Symphony

It was difficult to ask for more from Nico Rosberg in today's Belgian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg took a fine win, but it was bittersweet
Photo: Octane Photography

His was an imperious race right from the copybook. His identity as victor never seemed in doubt, despite a fair helping of chaos happening behind him as well as a mid-race red flag stoppage. He scampered off pronto at each start, then his consistent pace to add incrementally to his already healthy advantage was superb. This included even when on a slower tyre compound as everyone got going again after the stoppage. Most thought he may be put under pressure, at least initially. Not a bit of it.

There wasn't the tiniest mistake that I saw from him. He proceeded as if on rails, and won with about as much inevitability as one on a railroad. It also was his first triumph at this ultimate driver's track. And he did it all too on that day we'd anticipated for months as a vital opportunity for him, on which his Mercedes stable mate and chief title rival Lewis Hamilton started at the back thanks to his myriad of engine-related grid penalties.

And yet. Even with all of this it likely ends up feeling like a slightly bittersweet day for him, as with it all Nico only got ten points back on his team mate.

Spa Qualifying - Not so unfamiliar

We are at Spa, but in many ways it was nothing like Spa. The weather for one - unusually hot to the point of being more redolent of Abu Dhabi. Moreover the usual required waterproofs for the annual Ardennes visits have this time not been required at all.

With an open goal, Nico Rosberg fired the ball
into the empty net to bag pole
Photo: Octane Photography

Motor racing at this revered Belgian track usually guarantees drama too, but this time for qualifying at least a major source of it was removed before we'd even got started. We knew in advance that Lewis Hamilton would in effect be scratched.

Long in advance - his grid penalty from taking additional engine parts was pretty much inevitable since his technical failures in the first handful of 2016 rounds, while also it transparently made most sense to swallow them here. His resultant 55 (really) place drop means he starts tomorrow's Belgian Grand Prix from the back. It also meant that in today's session there was no incentive for him to do other than set a time within 107% of the front in Q1 so to guarantee his place on the grid, and otherwise sit out to save engine mileage and tyres.

Not all of what we got was unusual though. Much of what we got seemed very usual indeed, starting with this precise matter of grid drops and drivers therefore being best served by putting their feet up rather than do their thing on track. Drafting regs in this game is never easy for a multitude of reasons, but that the upshot was it all seeming to militate against the show on offer to the paying public was one we've heard a few times before.

A Very Brief History Of F1 (1920-1980) - a guest article by Gemma Gale

F1 is a sport which has been going for a long time. Many of us will have detailed knowledge about portions of F1 history - but may not be aware of the entire story. As such, here is a brief overview of F1 from its beginnings to its current state. (Note - if you want to go into a few of the eras mentioned in more detail, there are plenty of informative articles to be found in the 'Looking Back' section of this website!)

The First Races

Motor sport quickly became popular - this is
the 1928 Le Mans 24 Hours race
By Agence de presse Meurisse - This image is available from
Gallica Digital Library under the digital ID btv1b9040626q
This tag does not indicate the copyright status of
the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required.
See Commons:Licensing for more information.English |
Français | Magyar | Italiano | Nederlands | Slovenščina |
Українська | +/−, Public Domain, https://commons.
wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39594110

Modern Formula 1 racing can trace its origins back to the Grand Prix road racing which was popular back in the 1920s and '30s. These were exciting affairs which, while not as high-speed as modern races (engines and car design had a long way to come!), nonetheless provided a thrill for the glamorous flapper set. With few rules and no real governing authority, the races served as the perfect outlet for the wilder passions of some. People flocked to Le Mans in France and Indianapolis in the USA to witness faster vehicles than those to which they were accustomed tearing up (quite literally!) the tracks, and aristocratic drivers expressing grievances with their rivals through the medium of racing. Scandal and sensation were de rigueur for the Grand Prix set, and this formed much of the appeal for the public. Crashes and deaths were surprisingly common, considering that it took a long time for any Grand Prix car to exceed 70 mph. However, with the advent of the supercharged engine, the Grand Prix scene was to change dramatically.

The latest Lights to Flag Podcast - 2016 Belgian Grand Prix Preview

The latest episode of the Lights to Flag podcast is here, and in this one we preview this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

Host Ewan Marshall, fellow guest Alex Goldschmidt and I look ahead at what we can expect at the famous Spa venue from each team, the new and exciting Manor driver line-up as well as discuss whether motorsport should be represented in the Olympics... You can listen by clicking play below.

As before too do let us know what you think, we're very keen to hear feedback. You can also interact with the podcast, such as by suggesting questions or letting us know your comments, via the Twitter account and on its Facebook page. If you want to appear on it give us a shout too.

New Grand Prix Times article: Why F1 did not see Michael Schumacher's stunning Spa debut coming

We are 25 years on from an F1 watershed. Michael Schumacher's stunning debut in the Jordan 191 at Spa. That which we know so well. Almost overnight the sport knew pretty much for certain who the next generation's standard-bearer would be.

By OlliFoolish - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://
commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31638871

But perhaps not even that in itself is the most remarkable part of the story. And no, I'm not talking either about the curious story of how the Jordan vacancy opened up in the first place, involving altercations with taxi drivers and pepper spray...

No, the most amazing part is that prior to Michael turning F1 on its head in Belgium a quarter of a century ago almost no one in the paddock knew the first thing about him. Somehow he had operated off the radar.

In my latest article for Grand Prix Times I tell this amazing story. You can have a read here: http://www.grandprixtimes.com/news/id/12686

Spa Preview: Bringing many things to mind

Modern F1 doesn't always get it wrong. Even though you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

This weekend coming the sport returns from its summer hiatus, and there could not be a better place to reconvene. If you know anything about this game then you'll know about Spa-Francorchamps. Its mere mention brings immediate and familiar associations.

There's nothing quite like Spa
Photo: Octane Photography

The picture postcard scenery of the Ardennes. The sheer speed. The undulations. The fearsome turns. The inimitable organic and comfortable feel, as if donning an old pair of slippers. The unparalleled heritage. The clear thread between the current track and the very beginnings of motorsport road circuit racing. No wonder that when you ask F1 drivers, engineers or fans for their favourite modern venue this one is usually said before any other, and about as often without the slightest hesitation.

Spa remains a totem of what is possible even within the sport's ever-narrowing track design constraint; even when replacing a classic circuit with one more palatable to the contemporary requirements. You wonder why no one else tasked with designing a venue in the last decade or so has used it as a template, even in small part, in what they produce - that instead time and again we get identikit autodromes that rarely quicken the pulse. But I guess that's another story.

The latest Lights to Flag Podcast - Driver Market Speculation

The second episode of the Lights to Flag podcast has landed. And it's a special edition looking at the 2017 F1 drivers' market.

On the latest edition I, along with host Ewan Marshall and fellow guest Owen Davies, explore who is likely to be going where for 2017. Even with the 'big three' of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari having confirmed their pairing there still is plenty of intrigue.

We discuss what's likely to happen with the vacancies in each of the other eight teams, and even make predictions of who'll be on the grid for the opening round next season. Plenty of potential fun to be had in quoting those back to me in weeks and months to come...

You can listen to the podcast below. Do let us know what you think, we're very keen to hear feedback. You can also interact with the podcast, such as by suggesting questions or letting us know your comments, via its Twitter account and on its Facebook page.