Time for glorious Spa

2008-09-05 08:46

Natalie Le Clue

Finally the F1 season heads to the greatest track on the calendar, Spa-Francorchamps. A fast and hilly route throughout the Ardennes in the country of Belgium that really separate the men from the boys.

Although racing fans almost never see eye on who they choose to support in F1, there is one question that always receives a unanimous answer: What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Spa? One answer: Eau Rouge.

For those who are not familiar with the corner, it is the most magnificent corner in all of F1. The La Source hairpin serves as turn one. After the hairpin has been negotiated, drivers race down a straight to the point of Eau Rouge, before being launched steeply uphill into a sweeping left-right-left combination of corners with a blind summit. This all while pressing the throttle peddle absolutely flat against the floorboard.

Many imagine what it would be like to drive an F1 car but you don't imagine what Eau Rouge would be like... you dream about it.

Spa is a glorious track and also a venue where processional races are very rare. It is one of few tracks that really separate the good drivers from the great.

Serious accidents

Besides the daring of Eau Rouge, another crucial point on the circuit where time can either be lost or gained, is Blanchimont. The Blanchimont turn is a high-speed left-hand turn at the final sweeping corner of the track before the Bus Stop chicane, which leads to the start/finish straight.

Blanchimont has caused serious accidents in its history, the most recent being in 2001 when Luciano Burti lost the front wing of his Prost due to a clash with Eddie Irvine's Jaguar. Burti lost front downforce and steering, and left the track at more than 300km/h before piling into the tyre wall, the impact knocking him out and burying the car into a mound of tires.

I often find myself wondering if F1 drivers cringe - even slightly - when negotiating corners such as Eau Rouge and Blanchimont. Then again, considering the immense concentration that goes on in the cockpit of an F1 car, probably not. Incredible!

Looking ahead, the Belgian GP in terms of the championship fight seems just as thrilling as this iconic track. Lewis Hamilton is still in the lead with Felipe Massa a close second and Kimi Raikkonen a further 13 points adrift following his retirement in Valencia.

Legend

Some experts have called for Ferrari to start backing Massa in his bid to become world champion with Raikkonen a rather uncomfortable margin adrift. But it is never a good idea to write off Raikkonen and that is especially true in Belgium.

Spa is one of Kimi's favourite tracks and one where he has claimed victory in each of the last three races. People believe that Spa is where the legend of Kimi Raikkonen was forged during Saturday morning qualifying for the 2002 race.

As the Finn was entering the thrilling Eau Rouge corner, Olivier Panis's engine blew up, covering the corner in thick white smoke. The ever cool Raikkonen plunged into the smoke without a split second of hesitation - at 300km/h - to complete a breathtaking run to his first ever front row start in F1.

And as always Raikkonen remains defiant in the face of his critics by making this stirring statement: "If anyone doubts my motivation they can be sure of this: I want to win, now more than ever."

Some might choose to bet against Raikkonen and that statement, but I'm not one of them.

What then of the other Ferrari driver? The way that Massa destroyed the field in Spain, I don't see him finishing anything lower than third.

That said anything can happen in F1 as Ferrari have found out to their great displeasure with two engine failures in as many races.

One objective

Hamilton will be lurking dangerously in his silver arrow. He has the added advantage of Heikki Kovalainen who will serve as his rear-gunner.

Lewis will be a big threat this weekend. Last year having to deal with all the pressure around him and a feisty Fernando Alonso he finished a distant fourth. This year he has only to focus on one objective: winning.

As for my prediction on who will win the race this week I will stand, emphatically, behind one man: Kimi Raikkonen. Reason being that he has been utterly dominant at this track over the past couple of years and if the ice-cool Finn ever needed a resounding victory to refresh his flailing charge towards a second world championship, it's now.

Natalie is Sport24's F1 columnist

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