Red Bull where never going to have it easy at this round of the Championship. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit nestled in the Belgian forest presents the longest track on the current calendar and a unique challenge. Due to it's 7.004km length and it's undulating nature, it's a regular event to have rain on one part of the track while another is completely dry. This weekends was no different, the rain made the race even more interesting. But I'm deviating now, that's not why Red Bull were going to struggle. Spa is a combination of lengthy straights and the mighty Eau-Rouge, probably the most famous and feared corner in F1.
It used to be a case where only the mega-brave or the insane took Eau-Rogue 'flat', some recent drivers have come unstuck try to prove to the world they've got the biggest balls. I'm talking to you Jacques Villenueve. However advances in aerodynamics and mechanical grip in recent years have tamed Eau-Rouge and we saw many drivers take the corner flat out, one handed, while the other hand operated the cards F-duct. The F-Duct disturbs / stalls airflow onto the rear wing and gives cars extra speed, as if the rear downforce has been decreased. Mclaren, pioneers of the F-Duct have the best on the grid and it was here that Red Bull were going to face a tough challenge.
Ferrari have been on the rise in the last couple of races and practice saw Alonso topping the times, but I always thought come Saturday and qualifying Red Bull would rise to the top. I wasn't disappointed, and Webber dropped his Red Bull on pole, the only driver into the 1:45's. Hamilton in the McLaren lined up alongside.
Race day and Webber bogged down on the line, and we saw his in-car footage showing the anti-stall kicking in as 5 drivers blew past him, relegating him to sixth. At the front Hamilton lead and with Button as his tailgunner, he pulled out a healthy lead. Rain fell early on and the drivers negated some slippery conditions. Throughout the race the threat of rain literally hung over everyones heads and the threat turned into action in the closing stages. Again, we saw Vettel show us why he won't be the 2010 world champion as his impatience got the better of him and he took out Jensen button and ruined his own race. I lol'd.
the non surprise of the race was the ever non-surprise and 'somewhere there man' 2008 runner-up Filipe Massa. He hasn't looked the same since his accident at the Hungoraring in 2009 and his done a stellar job of being non-descript this year. Kubica fought well to get hold in for third and he surely would have kept second from Webber if he didn't stuff his pit stop up and overshoot his box.
Schumacher showed better than he typically has this year, but still finished one place behind Rosberg. Maybe one day soon the 7 time world champ and record holder for the most race wins Schumi can actually beat his non race wining teammate.
Webber now sits in second in the championship, only three points behind Lewis, and it's all on again at Monza.
