The stage is set for Sunday, 27th of July. At the National Circuit in Francorchamps, the F1 will move on with its schedule and assign heavy World Championship points. The challenge seems closed, with a team that is dominating far and wide: McLaren. The only uncertainty lies in who will triumph between its two drivers: Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri. The other teams, though, didn’t give up, and are hoping to turn the season around in its second half.
A team which is trying hard to reduce the gap is Scuderia Ferrari. They opened the season hoping to be a serious threat, especially after the signing of paddock legend, Lewis Hamilton. Although they are not the favorites to win in Belgium, fans are hoping for a turnaround and that this could be the time to return to winning a GP. An additional incentive to bet on a possible victory for the redheads is the operators themselves, who promote dedicated betting offers for each GP, SPA Francorchamps included, and are trusting Ferrari to be a possible outsider. Obviously, though, the circuit is full of hardships for Il Cavallino.
Ferrari’s issues are bound to re-emerge in Belgium
The main problem for Ferrari has been the grip in case of rain or wet asphalt, as we have recently seen in Silverstone. The forecast for the Belgium GP (not reliable at the moment, of course, because there are still two full weeks before the race, while we write this) are pointing towards variable conditions, a terrible setting for the team. The strategists in Maranello, however, have got a lot of time to reflect and develop the best course of action before moving to Spa for the Grand Prix.
McLaren seems very tough to beat this year, but the challenge is still long and nobody should already give up hope. Ferrari showed solid improvements in the aerodynamic in Great Britain, especially in tight corners, and the circuit in Francorchamps has a fair share of those: Eau Rouge, Raidillon, La Source, Pouhon… It is possible to get on the podium if a team can plan accordingly and ride its technical advantages.
A beautiful circuit, with some room to maneuver
The Belgian Circuit at Spa – Francorchamps is an historical track for the F1 circus. The original, triangle-shaped track, was built in 1921. Originally, the designers used public roads, between the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy, and Stavelot, to create a breathtaking 14.9 km circuit taking in the forests and rolling hills of the beautiful Ardennes region. The scenery was amazing, and still is, but, after the redevelopment (1979), the new circuit is only half the original’s length. However, it is still the longest on the current calendar, at 7.004 km, but it doesn’t cross the forest anymore.
Belgium’s iconic circuit was one of just seven to be part of Formula 1’s maiden championship in 1950. The track was already well-known. Vehicles have raced in SPA Francorchamps since 1924, when F1 didn’t even exist.
Spa is a very peculiar circuit, with its mix of long straights and challenging fast corners. Drivers can push their cars to the edge, at least whenever it’s dry. The size of the track, paired with the nature of Belgian weather, means it can sometimes be raining just on one or more parts of the track, while elsewhere the asphalt remains completely dry. When this occurs, grip varies from one corner to the next. On those days, racers and fans know they’d better keep an eye on the thrilling Eau Rouge, probably the most famous sequence of corners in the racing world, as the drivers flick left, right and then up the hill, through Raidillon. In Belgium, racing enthusiasts are always up for a challenge. They would love to admire a phenomenal performance from Hamilton or Charles Leclerc, obvious underdogs at this point of the season.
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