Former Formula 1 tyre engineer Kees van de Grint says fans should keep an eye on Scuderia Ferrari’s performance in the Belgian Grand Prix, which takes place this weekend at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The Dutchman, who worked with Bridgestone and seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher during the Italian side’s ultra-successful era, says an engine upgrade will be a key weapon for the Maranello based team in the Belgian GP.
In recent days Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto has generically confirmed an update of the power unit “for the second part of the season” with a significant step forward for some engine components still inherited from last year. No confirmation on the date of introduction of the new specification, but the damage remedied by the second power unit of Charles Leclerc’s car in Hungary could push the men from Maranello to use the third engine already in Belgium, and a fourth one before the end of the championship. In an interview with the German broadcaster RTL, former Bridgestone engineer Kees Van de Grint said he is convinced that Ferrari could be the surprise of the Spa Francorchamps race.
Although officially packaged as a reliability upgrade amid this year’s homologation rules, sources in Maranello have hinted that performance should also get a significant boost.
“We shouldn’t take Ferrari’s words too seriously, but I’m sure they will be there at Spa,” van de Grint told RTL GP – “I think the track already suits them well, and on top of that Pirelli is using the same tyres as in Budapest but with a higher pressure. We all saw that the Ferrari cars were faster there (in Hungary)” – the former Formula 1 tyre engineer concluded.
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