Belgian GP: Hamilton Like a Fish in Water

After a month of endless waiting, F1 has resumed, offering us a grand Belgian Grand Prix worthy of this legendary track.

In the microcosm of F1, there are certain unique circuits that drivers appreciate more than anything. Glamorous Monaco, technical Suzuka, and indomitable Spa. Spa is 7 kilometers of bravery where each driver climbs the asphalt as the gradient is impressive, and all this in the most challenging weather conditions. Driving at Spa is like climbing a mountain in a storm. The one who crosses the finish line first commands respect because despite technological advancements, there is always a feeling that the winner is worthy of the pioneers of auto racing.

This year it’s the young English prodigy, Lewis Hamilton, who wins, also taking the opportunity to move back to the top of the World Drivers’ Championship with a 3-point lead over Webber.

This victory was an intense moment for him: «I am so happy, so happy to be in this position… When you experience things like this in such a race, it’s like a lottery. Coming out of this race on top against a difficult situation makes me happy, ecstatic.»

The British driver took control of the race, setting the pace and demonstrating what distinguishes a good driver from a world champion: talent. Despite two neutralization periods under the safety car and a detour into the gravel trap due to ambient humidity, Hamilton led by 1.5 seconds ahead of Webber and 3.4 seconds ahead of Kubica, who finished second and third, respectively.

At the start of the race, Webber on pole sees his car hesitate when the lights go out, as the clutch does not respond. Immediately, that’s all it takes for Hamilton, second on the grid, to already take the lead of the race at the first corner.

The McLaren driver speeds at high velocity, leaving his competitors far behind, his pace pushing the second on track, Button, to more than half a second per lap. Hamilton fully takes advantage of the track’s drying phenomenon at this early stage of the race. The Belgian asphalt is renowned for its exceptional drainage qualities. The drivers would be able to quickly verify this. Numerous radio communications between the pits and the cars reported a risk of rain, with some teams even announcing periods of maximum risk.

The leader of the race himself was about to be caught out by the weather at the onset of a downpour; he took a detour into the gravel at Rivage. Recovering his car at the last moment, Hamilton avoided hitting the barriers and returned to the track. He confirms: «The conditions were really difficult when it started raining… I was losing temperature in the tires and didn’t know how to push. I braked late, locked a wheel, and went wide in turn 8. » At the end of this lap, he came into the pits to put on intermediate tires. For Webber and Kubica, the strategy was identical, but the Australian driver regained second place while the Pole was caught off guard by puddles in the pits, losing control of his car as he stopped at his pit crew and struck one of his mechanics. Fortunately, no serious injuries, but the opportunity was not going to be wasted by the experienced Webber.

For Alonso, the race was difficult, as he was hit in the first lap by Barrichello, who was celebrating his 300th Grand Prix, forcing him to return to the pits. Compelled to settle for a supporting role after this incident, the Spanish champion made a mistake on the 38th lap, losing control of his car. This off-track excursion forced the safety car to intervene six laps before the end. At the restart, Hamilton controlled the race by creating a gap between himself and Webber.

In the category of big losers of the day, in addition to Alonso, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel must be added. During this Belgian weekend, their fates would be intertwined.

Button, despite a slightly damaged front wing, could hope to score important points as he was second behind his teammate.

Vettel, too, could believe in his lucky star as he was in third place. Too optimistic or eager to make up for lost time, the young German launched an attack on the reigning world champion at the exit of Blanchimont on the 16th lap. Changing trajectory twice, he lost control of his Red Bull, crashing it into the left sidepod of the McLaren. The latter, mortally hit in the radiators, came to a stop, leaving Button without his ride. Despite the impact, Vettel was able to continue with only a broken front wing, forcing him to pit immediately.

The stewards, after reviewing the incident, invited Vettel to pass through again to perform a penalty ‘drive through’. The misadventures of the precocious and youthful Red Bull driver were not yet over as another contact with a single-seater, Liuzzi’s Force India, led to the puncture of his rear left tire.

In the absolute pursuit of victory, stubbornness looms. One should never forget that intermediate points are often the most decisive in the quest for the final victory in the World Championship. Coulthard, the legendary Scotsman and Red Bull consultant, believes that Vettel is too young to become world champion.

Felipe Massa was able to navigate through the raindrops and various race incidents to seize fourth place. Sutil clinched fifth place, proving to the many supporters in the stands that there isn’t just one German driver worth supporting. His duel with Schumacher is proof of this. The Red Baron even had to accept the dominance of his teammate Rosberg, who overtook him three laps from the end to take sixth place.

Kamui Kobayashi, eighth, and Vitaly Petrov, ninth, showed that despite their mistakes during qualifying, they are capable of raising their driving levels. Jaime Alguersuari secured the last point by finishing tenth.

As they emerge from this Spa bath, Hamilton and Webber can boast of being in a fairly comfortable position. This unlikely duo leads Vettel and Button in the World Driver’s Championship. If the top two are separated by 3 points, Vettel is already 31 points behind Hamilton and Button 35 points.

For McLaren, it was crucial to regain momentum against Red Bull. Between Spa and Monza, the entire paddock agrees that these two circuits favor the English cars.

Martin Whitmarsh, the team principal, sums up the situation well: “We knew we had to come here (Spa) and try to win. We did it. And now, we’re going to Monza and we’ll see what we can do there.”

He concludes: « Each race is important, we must continue to improve the car, we must not make mistakes, and we must continue in this way. I am sure Red Bull Racing will not remain idle. It will be a difficult end to the season and that I am really sure of. »

If McLaren’s oh-so-British behavior already makes us understand, without saying it, that the entire team is working for Lewis Hamilton’s final victory, at Red Bull, the weekend’s events must lead the decision-makers to make an important decision if they want to have a chance of winning. McLaren and its years of experience are gearing up for the final victory. Any dithering at RBR would be catastrophic; it might be time for Christian Horner and the decision-makers of the team to clearly announce everyone’s role. It might be time to position Mark Webber as the number 1 driver. This weekend, Vettel may have shown the limits of his youth.

It is also necessary to remember the words of Dieter Mateschitz, who at the beginning of the season, stated that he wanted the title and nothing else. If Red Bull were to fail in its quest, what would be the future of this structure? In these times of global financial difficulties, the withdrawal of the Red Bull brand could have major consequences for motorsport.