BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

Despite Spa being one of the best tracks in F1, there wasn't much exciting about this weekend, unless you count a new low for Ferrari. Just when we all thought Ferrari couldn't disappoint us any more, they failed us again. There was just no pace. I don't see how we're going to be stuck with this same Ferrari car for this year and next year. It's unbearable. And, even worse than this weekend, there's Monza next. But I don't understand how Charles could have won the race on pace alone last year at Spa and this year, he barely made it out of Q1. Unbelievable.

Here are my notes from this weekend...

FP1

• Williams was bought out and will no longer be run by Frank Williams

• Grosjean reports no power

• Lando accidentally cut off Gasly

• Grosjean and Magnussen both have to change power units

FP2

• both Haas cars are still in the garage with two separate engine problems.

• It’s dry but no one is out right now and they wait fifteen minutes before they go

• They’re finally talking about how terribly Ferrari is doing this entire season and how embarrassing it is. Last year Charles won this race and this year, he’s in 15th fastest and Seb in 17th and the rest of Ferrari power are at the back of the field too

• Daniel set a great time but then his Renault had a problem and they told him to stop it so yellow flag, then virtual safety car

• Lewis has a moment off track

• Red flag for debris on the track that turns out to be a fallen advertising sign from the barrier

FP3

• little bit of rain in this session but not a lot

• Ferrari is constantly properly in the bottom five. It’s incredible.

• Seb has the slowest time and Charles is in 17. No reason except that they’re slowest. Oh my gosh.

Qualifying

• I genuinely don’t know if either Ferrari will be able to make it out of Q1

• Kevin off at the end of Q1 through the gravel but no crash

• Out in Q1: KMags, Latifi, Grosjean, Gio, Kimi

• Ferrari JUST makes it into Q2 but it is PAINFUL to watch

• Out in Q2: kvyat, Gasly, Charles, Seb and Russell

• Hamilton on pole again, then Bot, then Max, then Daniel actually

Race

• Sainz won’t start the race because of an exhaust failure so the 7th spot is empty on the grid

• Possibility of rain is high

• Daniel and Max squabbling does 3rd on opening lap

• Charles yo to 8th after the first lap

• Gasly makes a great move passing Perez

• Gasly and Perez passed Charles but Charles is in 10th still and Vettel is only in 13

• Mercedes tell Bottas not to use push “against each other” and Bottas said he never heard of that

• On lap 10 Max feels like his medium tires have no grip

• 11/44 BIG coming together on Gio and George Russell and safety car bahut could be red flag

• Ferrari wasn’t ready for the safety car and a super long stop for Charles

• Everyone in the pits

• Albon gets past Ocon in the pits!

• Turns out the Gio crash was GIO dropping it and his wheel took out George flying right into his path as George was behind him

• Yeah that 100% Gio’s fault and he was trigger happy and nobody really knows why he lost it

• Should the cranes really be backing across the track like that? No

• My hope is that the debris from the GIO crash is worst for Hamilton going over it first and he gets a puncture

• Ferrari can’t make their mind up which plan to tell Charles to do and he can’t do both at once

• 14/44 green flag after safety car

• 16/44 Hamilton reports loss of power

• They always get my hopes up with Hamilton reporting loss of power but apparently it was normal energy management and nothing is wrong

• Ricciardo and Albon passed Perez into 5 and 6

• The Ferraris almost hit each other while Charles was trying to pass Seb into 12th and everyone was like okay squabbling over the back of the field and hitting each other would be too far

• Daniel takes back 4th from Gasly

• 24/44 Albon passes Gasly, yay! Great job Albon!

• Charles is losing hydraulic pressure and so they had to pit him again but they won’t tell him why so he’s like the only person that had to pit again and they never told him the plan and so it’s just all chaos and nonsense and this is so disgusting that he can’t know when all the teams will know why the pitted him anyway when they discuss it on tv

• Kimi reports a lot of water on his right foot suddenly

• Charles gets fastest lap in last place after the pit stop but won’t get a point if he keeps it because he’s not in the top ten

• Seb is telling Ferrari what he is going to do and basically threatening the pit wall and he’s right to do so because there’s seemingly no strategy based on Charles

• Seb goes off track trying to get back past Gasly right after being passed

• I like Crofty saying Kimi had the lollipop snatched away for a move on Gasly

• Bottas reports an issue of numbness on his left leg with the brakes

• Lando surprised by a radio message

• Hamilton has a big off from lockup and goes off but is fine and keeps the lead

• Bottas has a big off too because the tires are dead for both Mercedes

• No rain at all unlike how they predicted

• Gasly is really having a stellar race

• Ocon passes Albon for fifth on the last lap but it was a close battle between Albon, Ocon and Lando in the last few laps

• Hamilton wins again, Bottas in second and Max in third. Sixth consecutive podium for Max.

• This is the last race where they can change the power modes during the race

• Max says this race wasn’t enjoyable and was pretty boring at the pre podium interview which was so honest