Practice for the Belgian Grand Prix begins at Spa-Francorchamps tomorrow.
Have all the important information for this weekend’s race at your fingertips with the F1 Fanatic unofficial race programme – including a video lap of the famous track:
The race
Belgian Grand Prix preview – Spa’s long straights offer hope to Red Bull’s rivals
2010 Belgian Grand Prix discussion – Loads of F1 Fanatic readers are heading to Spa-Francorchamps – our discussion thread has over 800 comments!
2010 Belgian Grand Prix live comments and TV times – Join us for live discussion during every session
2010 Belgian Grand Prix – Support race details, session times and more
The track
Red Bull have put out their usual pre-race video of the track simulation. They have produced versions with both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel doing the commentary. Vettel’s is above, see the Spa information page or F1 Fanatic YouTube page for the Webber version.
Spa is F1’s longest track at over 7km and is widely held to be one of the best. Eau Rouge, Pouhon, Fagnes, Stavelot and Blanchimont are among the best corners on the calendar and they’re all found on this circuit which winds through the Ardennes forest.
Read more: Spa-Francorchamps – circuit information
The weather
The other thing Spa is famous for is rain – sudden, unpredictable and often very heavy. Lots of it is forecast for this weekend, though at the moment it’s not clear whether it might disrupt the serious action on Saturday and Sunday.
Read more: Rain to disrupt Belgian GP practice
Following the race live
We’ll be commenting live on the Belgian Grand Prix from start to finish. If you’d like to help us run the live blogs this weekend please please get in touch by emailling me, using Twitter or leaving a comment below.
Join us for the race, qualifying and all three practice sessions at these times:
Friday 27th August 2010
Belgian Grand Prix Free practice 1 – 10:00 – 11:30 (09:00 – 10:30)
Belgian Grand Prix Free practice 2 – 14:00 – 15:30 (13:00 – 14:30)
Saturday 28th August 2010
Belgian Grand Prix Free practice 3 – 11:00 – 12:00 (10:00 – 11:00)
Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying – 14:00 (13:00)
Sunday 29th August 2010
Belgian Grand Prix – 14:00 (13:00)
Times are local times with British time conversions in brackets.
More session times and live blog details here:
Also make sure you follow F1 Fanatic on Twitter for updates throughout the race weekend.
2009 Belgian Grand Prix highlights
Giancarlo Fisichella sprang a surprise in last year’s Belgian Grand Prix by putting his Force India on pole position.
He finished second in the race after Spa specialist Kimi Raikkonen surged past him following an early restart. The Ferrari driver scored his fourth win in five starts at the track.
2009 Belgian Grand Prix review – Kimi Raikkonen edges Giancarlo Fisichella for win
Belgian Grand Prix qualifying – Giancarlo Fisichella stuns with Spa pole position
Previous Belgian Grands Prix
2008 Belgian Grand Prix – Lewis Hamilton is moral victor in Spa thriller
2007 Belgian Grand Prix – Raikkonen’s hat-track
2005 Belgian Grand Prix – Raikkonen wins rain-hit race
1999 Belgian Grand Prix – Coulthard holds H?â?ñkkinen back
2010 Belgian Grand Prix
Images (C) Red Bull/Getty, Force India F1 Team
Cornflakes (@cornflakes)
26th August 2010, 15:27
Was Vettel in 3rd gear during Eau Rouge then?! Jeesus I thought they took that flat in 7th!
US_Peter (@us_peter)
26th August 2010, 19:15
From the readout it looked like he shifted from 7th down to 6th.
Macca (@macca)
26th August 2010, 16:02
I recommend you watch Webber lap in the simulator, you can just hear the excitment in his voice at being on such a great track.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
26th August 2010, 19:23
Haha! Sounds like he says “Bomb frittes.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEL7k5khf44&feature=fvst
JT19 (@jt19)
26th August 2010, 16:24
just seen the thursday pics on the official f1 website, they have ruined les combes!! why have they put so much asphalt run-off area there now?? is it just because of last year?? they’re making challenging tracks less and less challenging. first montreal, now spa. please leave them as it is
http://www.formula1.com/gallery/race/2010/836/general/thursday.html
Richard Brown
26th August 2010, 17:52
I argued such a point strongly on an article yesterday regarding the track changes being employed.
However, I didn’t expect them to have tarmacked the entire island of the chicane; I got a vision of just the couple of metres behind the apex kerb being changed with some narrow bump bands, but that’s taking it too far. And the ridiculous ridding of that strip of gravel on the exit is well, a joke.
As you say, this is becoming silly now.
JT19 (@jt19)
26th August 2010, 19:14
your imagination was what i completely agreed with as well, i thought it wud be just a couple of little kerbs, but now it jus looks like a tesco’s car-park!! and why is there a run-off on the second phase of les combes? that means drivers can push even more without making a mistake.
xtophe (@xtophe)
27th August 2010, 5:40
They said it was like the runoff at turn one in Catalunya. That sentence warned us it would be ruined.
gwenouille
26th August 2010, 17:06
Nice to have a commentated lap by Vettel too, but I have to say I much prefer Webber’s commentary, especially the way he says “pommes-frites”. !
Yes we are back in Spa !!!
Oh boy oh boy oh boy !
verstappen
26th August 2010, 21:16
Well, I think the pommes frites doesn’t make up for all the corners Webber just gives numbers, where Vettel calls them mostly by their proper names…
(ok come to think of it: Vettel names Rivache and Pouhon and Camel straight, but Webber also mentiones La Source; and of course both name Eau Rouge and Blanchimont – no Bus stop, Radillon and les Combes from neither of them and … I’m sure I’m forgetting some other(s))
I guess, it’s just that I think Vettel is a nicer guy – which has nothing to do with racing or overtaking
tombo
27th August 2010, 0:22
pedantry corner: it’s kemmel straight.
also, neither can name the corner after rivage and, to their credits, neither mentioned ‘paul frere corner’…..
Tango
26th August 2010, 17:34
They do the same in French with Buemi
http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/video/2010/08/26/les-vacances-sont-finies-pour-les-pilotes-de-f1_1403236_3242.html
demos12
26th August 2010, 18:25
I think that if the Mclarens are not on pole, they will be very near the front, and if they are, they should be able to use the long straits to take the lead
Macca (@macca)
27th August 2010, 1:45
Completly agree, anywhere on the first 2 rows is as good as pole for McLaren.
xtophe (@xtophe)
27th August 2010, 5:41
It’s their race to lose in theory.
Dj xo2
27th August 2010, 3:24
great to have ya back keith