COOPER: Belgian GP Team-by-Team

Formula 1

COOPER: Belgian GP Team-by-Team

Here’s how things panned out for the 12 teams in the Belgian GP...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted September 02, 2012 Francorchamps (BEL)

Mark Webber (Left) and teammate Sebastian Vettel (Right) currently have the fastest cars on the F1 grid. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Belgian GP promised much, and there’s little doubt that it was ruined by the first corner crash that took out Alonso, Hamilton, Grosjean and Perez, and ruined the race of front row starter Kamui Kobayashi. It would have been fascinating to see how things would have unfolded at the front with a clean start.

That’s not to detract from a superb performance from Jenson Button, who would probably have won anyway, or from Sebastian Vettel, who did a great job to climb to second after being 12th after the accident. There was also a lot of action down the field, much but not all generated by DRS activity. Here’s how things panned out for the 12 teams:

Red Bull Racing
Mark Webber came into the weekend knowing he would have a five-place gearbox change penalty after an issue in the Hungarian GP, and having earned seventh, he was put back to 12th. That did at least gift a spot to team mate Sebastian Vettel, who didn’t make Q3 and had originally qualified 11th. Despite the first corner chaos Vettel was actually worse off, ending the first lap in 12th place. However switching to a one-stop schedule he put in a superb drive to work his way into a strong second place, earning priceless points. Webber was eighth on the first lap and after stopping twice he finished sixth, losing out to Massa.

McLaren
McLaren did very little running in Friday’s rain and the cars did not look competitive in FP3, but come qualifying Jenson Button found some speed, topping Q2 and setting two laps in Q3 that were good enough for pole. Going for a higher downforce rear wing, Lewis Hamilton took eighth, gaining a place from Webber’s penalty. It was a short race day for Lewis however, as he was hit by Grosjean heading into Turn One, triggering a multi-car accident. After a short safety car period Button established a lead over his pursuers and running a one-stop schedule he drove a faultless race to his second win of the season.

Track marshalls remove the car of Ferrari's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on September 2, 2012 in Spa during the Belgium Formula One Grand Prix. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ferrari
Fernando Alonso was a promising fastest in FP3 but that form didn’t continue into qualifying. The former champion earned sixth, moving up a place when Maldonado was penalized. Felipe Massa meanwhile was a lowly 14th after struggling badly in the middle sector. Alonso’s run of good luck finally ran out as he was an innocent victim of the Hamilton/Grosjean collision and didn’t make it past Turn One. Massa did not benefit much from the carnage and ended the first lap in 11th, but he subsequently put in a solid drive to move up to fifth place by the flag, pulling off a good pass on Webber along the way.

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