From gear changes to corner speeds, our track guide is the home of your Formula One tech lowdown.
Information / Stats
Track length : 7.004km/4.352 miles (longest track of the year – shortest: Monaco)
2016 pole position: Nico Rosberg, 1m46.744s
2016 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, 1m51.583s (lap 40)
Lap record: 1:47.263s (Sebastian Vettel, 2009)
Distance to Turn One: 265m/0.165 miles (longest of season: Barcelona 730m/0.454 miles)
Longest straight: 2.015km/1.252 miles, from La Source to Les Combes (longest of the season: Baku, 2.1km/1.305 miles)
Top speed: 360km/h/224mph, on the approach to Turn Five (fastest of season: Monza, 370km/h/230mph)
Full throttle: 70 per cent (highest of the season: Monza, 75 per cent)
Fuel consumption: 2.27kg per lap, which is high
ERS demands: Low. It is a long lap and there are plenty of opportunities to harvest braking energy
Gear changes: 48 per lap/2112 per race
Engineering challenge?
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is made up of fast corners and long straights, so high-speed stability and top speeds are crucial. With the extra drag produced by the 2017-spec cars, the circuit is likely to become a low downforce track this year as teams seek to maximise straight-line speeds.
How to tell when a driver’s really on it
He’ll keep the throttle nailed for the bulk of Sectors One and Three. Eau Rouge and Blanchimont have been ‘easy-flat’ for a number of years, but Turn 10 – Pouhon – might be flat this year and a driver who’s on it will need to use all of the exit kerb.
Trickiest bits for the driver
The final element of the three-corner sequence at Turns Five, Six and Seven. It’s important for a driver to hit all three apices through here, and particularly Turn Seven because he needs to get back on the throttle as early as possible as a short straight follows.
Car set-up
Low downforce. Sectors One and Three are spent largely at full throttle, so end-of-straight speed at these points on the lap is crucial. Due to the wider cars this year, teams will shave off some downforce to maintain top speeds.
Grip levels
Medium. The asphalt is smooth and grippy, and at high speed the cars produce lots of downforce. There are three heavy braking areas, where it’s important to have good braking stability as the speed and downforce comes off the car.
Tyre choice
Purple Ultrasoft, red Supersoft and yellow Soft – the sixth time this combination has been used in 2017.
Brake wear
Low. There are nine braking events around the lap, but only three of them are heavy.
Leave a Reply