Formula One: What to watch at the Belgian Grand Prix
By Dustin Smith
With two practices in the books, you can bet Saturday’s qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps and Sunday’s running of the Belgian Grand Prix will be events to tune into.
After Formula One’s twenty-six day break in action, today we saw Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen pace the field in practice one. Practice two was followed up when Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton drove to the top spot. Drivers will partake in the third and final practice session on Saturday before qualifying.
What to Watch:
Get out the Blue and Green Pirelli Tires! The clouds opened up during practice two, slowing the pace quite a bit for those drivers who chose to battle the elements. It will be interesting to see if the rain holds off on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton will drive in his 200th consecutive race this weekend at Spa. With Vettel sitting 3rd and 5th after the practice sessions, could Hamilton top the Formula One standings after this weekend?
Williams Racing will have their hands full after Felipe Massa missed the second practice today due to losing control and hitting the wall hard in the first practice. Here is video of Massa’s crash, courtesy of Formula1.com.
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After both practices today, can Sebastien Vettel find speed and get himself back on the top of the charts? Vettel posted the 3rd fastest time in practice one, and 5th fastest in practice two. With the points standings as tight as they are, Vettel could benefit greatly with a win. Conversely, he could watch his title lead diminish with a poor finish.
Max Verstappen had the upper hand in the Red Bull garage, outpacing 2014 Belgian Grand Prix Winner Daniel Ricciardo after the two practice sessions today. Anything can happen in auto racing, especially when rain tires are involved. As long as Verstappen is in striking distance, expect him to be the underdog with the best chances of winning on Sunday.
Time will tell who stands atop the podium on Sunday in Belgium. Will Sebastien Vettel still sit on the top of the driver championship standings or will Lewis Hamilton be the leader? Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas is also in the mix and could gain some crucial ground with a strong finish. The one thing we do know is drivers will not be in for a typical relaxing day at the Spa.
Will you be tuning in to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it. Also be sure to follow Beyond the Flag on both Instagram and Twitter.