F1: Belgian GP Team-By-Team Report

Formula 1

F1: Belgian GP Team-By-Team Report

The action of the Belgian GP team by team...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted August 29, 2010 Francorchamps (BEL)

Lewis Hamilton leads Jenson Button in the Belgian Grand Prix. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

As expected the Belgian GP proved to be a dramatic race, helped of course by a little bit of rain. Here’s what happened to the 12 teams.

McLaren Mercedes
McLaren looked good from the start of the weekend, with Lewis Hamilton finishing the three practice sessions in second, third and second. He put in a great lap right at the end of Q3 to steal second from Kubica, while Jenson Button took fifth. When Webber made a bad start from pole Hamilton slotted into the lead, and he was to stay there to the flag during a dramatic, rain affected race, surviving a trip across the gravel on slicks. Button suffered front wing damage on the first lap, but was able to partially overcome it with an adjustment from the cockpit. He was solid second when Vettel lost control and punted him out of the race at the end of lap 16. He was not impressed to be an innocent victim at Spa for the second year running...

Mercedes GP
Michael Schumacher enjoyed his return to Spa despite having a 10-place penalty hanging over him. He qualified 11th, so dropped to 21st. Nico Rosberg was fastest in Q1 and qualified 12th. He had a five place penalty for a gearbox change, but ultimately dropped only two to 14th. Both drivers made good starts and early in the race they made contact when Michael muscled his way past behind Petrov, and they touched briefly. However later in the race Nico repaid the compliment. Helped by staying out when others pitted for slicks, and basically waiting for rain, they finished sixth and seventh, with the younger man in front.

Red Bull Racing
Red Bull didn’t set Spa alight on Friday and Webber was only 18th in the afternoon, but he did a great job to take pole when it mattered. Sebastian Vettel didn’t quite get a clean lap in but was happy enough with fourth. Webber made a terrible start and lost five places, while Vettel moved into third, behind Button. He pushed the Briton hard in the early laps, mindful that Hamilton was getting away, only to spin and hit the McLaren. He then had a drive through and later did a full lap with a punctured rear tire after another collision with Liuzzi. He then took not one but two sets of extreme wets during the late shower. He eventually finished a lowly 15th after an amazing five stops! Webber ultimately gained second in the pits when Kubica had his bad stop.

Fernando Alonso (Left) and Felipe Massa (Right) will attend the hearing via a video link. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Scuderia Ferrari
Fernando Alonso looked strong on Friday when he was fastest in both sessions, but things didn’t go his way in qualifying, and he started 10th. Felipe Massa got a better lap in to claim sixth. Massa retained that position from the off but gained two spots when Button and Vettel tangled. He then remained in fourth to the flag. Alonso was hit by Barrichello on the first lap, pitted immediately for inters, and then went back to slicks when the rain went away. Not helped by a wet set up, he recovered to eighth before crashing out on lap 38 when the rain returned. Not a great weekend for the Spaniard. Now comes the World Council team orders hearing...

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