The Formula 1 community returns from its summer break this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, freshly rested and fired up to tackle the remaining nine events. Motorsport Week takes a look at the key talking points ahead of round 13 of 2019.
How will Albon and Gasly fare?
A year ago Alexander Albon was tackling the likes of Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont in his DAMS-run Formula 2 car. This time around he will be strapped into a race-winning Formula 1 machine. He will be the first driver for 12 years – since Lewis Hamilton – to have such a rapid car in his rookie campaign. The big question is how he adapts to his new surroundings and how he stacks up against Max Verstappen, who is in effect competing on home soil this weekend. It is a huge leap for a driver who had never driven a Formula 1 car in February, but this is the Red Bull way. On the flip side is how Pierre Gasly readjusts to life back at Toro Rosso. New team-mate Daniil Kvyat crumbled upon the same humiliating move in 2016 but with Red Bull still assessing its 2020 line-up the Frenchman cannot afford a slow start to his second spell at Toro Rosso.
Can Vettel end 12-month win-less streak
Across the past 12 months Sebastian Vettel has added 10 podium trophies to his wide-ranging collection but the top step has remained elusive. Vettel’s dominant win in Belgium last year was supposed to be the catalyst for a title charge but instead it remains the last time he has emerged victorious from a race weekend. Mistakes, strategic blunders and an overall lack of performance – whether from him or the car – has hampered his prospects of adding to his 52 career wins. Ferrari has typically struggled through low- and medium-speed corners this year but its power unit has been a cause for optimism, an element that should serve the team in good stead through the full-throttle first and third sectors. However, it may find itself playing catch-up through the lengthy downforce-dependent middle sector. A strong result would also alleviate some of the pressure on Ferrari in the build-up to its all-important home event the following weekend.
Can Racing Point deliver on favoured track?
If, for the sake of continuity, we regard Racing Point as the same team as the one that joined Formula 1 in 1991 (rather than its mid-2018 arrival), then its history is intertwined with Spa-Francorchamps. As Jordan its first pole came at the circuit in 1994, its first win in the rain-lashed race four years later, while in 2009 Giancarlo Fisichella scored the first podium from pole under its Force India guise. 12 months ago the team arrived at Spa-Francorchamps in the midst of its revival post-administration, with last-minute guarantees and negotiations ensuring the team could enter the event. It turned out to be a handsomely rewarding weekend as Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon locked out row two on the grid before bagging 22 points. Racing Point has had a subdued campaign in the wake of that mid-2018 takeover but it has recently introduced a raft of updates that it hopes will be fully shown at one of its favoured venues. Could it lead the midfield this weekend? Don’t be surprised if it’s up there.
Was Hungary the trend, or a one-off, for Williams?
Williams has endured an abject season with its recalcitrant FW42, but there was a beacon of light prior to the summer break. George Russell almost made it through to Q2, beating a handful of rivals in the process, and was more competitive in race trim, even though the bulk of his midfield opponents remained comfortably out of reach. But for a team that had been a second off the pace at most grands prix this was a welcome development. Updates brought to Germany were better understood, while a greater focus on Pirelli’s capricious tyres also had a positively transformative impact. Russell has been keen to play down expectations and there is reason for caution; the Hungaroring, relatively speaking, suited Williams’ package in a way that the high-speed Spa-Francorchamps will not. But if it can be in the ballpark again, rather than in a division by itself, then that would still represent progress.
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Will F1 get another cracking race?
Formula 1 received its fair share of criticism after an insipid French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard that brought the sport’s flaws to the surface. There remain fundamental elements to address long-term but since that uninspiring event Formula 1 has put on a show. The exceptionally hot Austrian Grand Prix featured a tussle between the sport’s anointed future champions, the British Grand Prix played host to several astounding wheel-to-wheel scraps, while in Hungary strategic divergence set up a brilliant finale involving Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. In-between those events was the bonkers German Grand Prix, with enough action and incidents to fill a feature-length film. Next up? Spa-Francorchamps. The venue has hosted some thrilling grands prix across the decades and even the more processional races are worth watching courtesy of the stunning circuit layout and breath-taking scenery. It's a tricky circuit to master courtesy of the set-up compromises needed to find the ideal approach, while the weather can also influence matters. Let’s hope F1 delivers once more.
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