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Blistering Pace
2016 Grand Prix Of Belgium

The Expectations

The beloved Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium is the longest track on the 2016 calendar with 19 corners over a 4.35-mile lap. It’s notoriously fast and one of the toughest tests for engines. It’s also a power-sensitive heritage venue with two long sections each lap; from the first corner La Source hairpin to the Les Combes chicane drivers will be flat-out for 25 seconds. They will also be flat from the run through Blanchimont to the Bus Stop chicane.

Spa’s large number of ultra-high speed, high energy corners punish cars with low cornering downforce and incorrect tire choices.

Pirelli announced its Spa tyre selection (medium, soft and supersoft) based on the usual seasonal temperature characteristics of the Ardennes’ circuit. Unsurprisingly, this summer’s much hotter global temperatures meant that the Spa selections stood a good chance of blistering; mediums rather than softs would prove to be the most consistent tire. Chewed up by Spa’s long, high-energy corners, supersofts would be lucky to last nine laps.

Spa’s long straights make overtaking straightforward, but as Max Verstappen demonstrated last season, bravery through Blancimont allows for another level of overtaking; providing the most spectacular late-braking passes of the year.

Honda arrived in Spa finally ready for increased speed having spent a total of seven engine tokens on power unit upgrades aimed at unlocking power via higher efficiency combustion chambers, turbochargers and compressors. Honda would test the new upgrades on both cars during Friday practice in Belgium before deciding to commit to the entire weekend. As it was, the new components fitted to Fernando Alonso’s engine brought grid penalties.

Mercedes was also looking at grid penalties for triple world champion Lewis Hamilton. He had already used his maximum allotted five turbochargers and MGU-H power unit elements so far this season, meaning any further replacement parts would incur a penalty. Mercedes decided to make three separate power unit replacements as well as additional parts, and strategically take the penalties in one lump sum. As it was, each of the new engines and auxiliary parts would now be put into a rotation and incur no more penalties if used. However, the 85 grid position demotions led the paddock to joke that Hamilton would line up for the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix somewhere around Brussels.

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