While every race track has notable corners, some hold a special place. One such iconic corner is Spa’s Eau Rouge. The topography of the area makes it a uniquely interesting corner both for the drivers and their cars. Recently, this corner sustained damage due to heavy rains and flooding and had to be resurfaced. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has analysed how the rebuilt section of this corner compares to the original one while speaking to the media after Friday’s Free Practice sessions
Link to poll: https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugz6wygnHxB__PWK3LZ4AaABCQ
0:00 - Has Spa’s Iconic Eau Rouge Corner Been Ruined?
1:34 - Fast Feed
I'm your host Tyler and first up on Formula World:
Has Spa’s Iconic Eau Rouge Corner Been Ruined?
Lewis began by explaining the challenge Spa offers in terms of car setup
“I think that if it it's guaranteed to rain, then you would want more downforce. But then if it doesn't rain, and the weather man is wrong, or weather woman's wrong, then you're a sitting duck on the straights. So yeah, we have to be very, very careful and cautious in the settings changes we make”
He then pointed out that Eau Rouge feels different
“It's a great, great circuit. It's very bumpy now through Eau Rouge, something's happening”
He further suggested that this iconic corner may have been ruined
“They've kind of ruined it a little bit with whatever it is. I don't know if they have got a new patch [of asphalt] there, but there's a massive bump right at the compression point, which we've never had there before”
He signed off by delving into further details
“It's really, really sharp up through the [body]. You feel it on the backside. But I'm sure they will fix it. I think [it] has something to do with the mudslides, the rain, or something like that”
Fast Feed
Retired F1 driver turned analyst Karun Chandhok feels that “Russell and Lewis has all the makings of Fernando [Alonso] and Lewis at McLaren in 2007” [Sky Sport]
“You can see the young pretender coming in against an established world champion and there will be some fireworks there which, frankly for all of us on the sidelines, could be quite good to watch”
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is “very happy to enter the new era of Formula 1 with a great team like Red Bull and it’s a great opportunity for [him]” [Official Statement]
“Everyone is starting from scratch next year with the new regulations, so [his] only goal is to go all the way to the top with Red Bull”
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton has stated that “Toto [Wolff] is a great leader and as [he has] said many times, [they] have continuous contact” [Motorsport]
“Of course we talk about [the 2022 driver line-up]. And of course we are all part of the same team. We want the best for the team, we want to win more championships”, Lewis revealed
“That’s why we have these kinds of conversations. The final decision lies with him and with the Mercedes board. I am part of the team so of course I will support the decision”, he concluded
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen feels that “Zandvoort will be interesting. It’s a very cool circuit” [NOS]
“I won a Formula 3 race there and already drove a few ‘showruns’ with old Formula 1 cars, but I think in the current generation of F1 cars it’s really a very fast track”, he added
“I haven’t been in the simulator for Zandvoort. We don’t have a good idea of the circuit yet and have to guess a bit, but after the first practice, you usually know which way to go in terms of setting up the car”, Max concluded
Formula E driver and former F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne thinks that “Formula 1 is Formula 1, one of the biggest championships in the world with the fastest cars. If an opportunity comes up [he] will definitely think about it”
“Of course I was not there in the best of circumstances, it was the two worst years in the history of McLaren. If the opportunity arises I will definitely think about it but it’s not like I only think about F1 all day long”, Vandoorne clarified
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo is of the opinion that when he and Sebastian Vettel were teammates at Red Bull “Sebastian was older and at the peak of his career. There was less margin for him to get even better as a four-time world champion” [Sport Bild]
However, Max Verstappen as his teammate had a greater margin for improving which is “why it was more difficult against him”
Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has suggested that “Max will start winning races that Lewis can’t win and vice versa. In the end, the number of mistakes made could be decisive” [Auto Motor und Sport]
Are you looking forward to the race in Zandvoort?
0 Comments