Haas F1 Team Belgian Grand Prix facts and stats 22.08.2016: Formula 1 - Belgium Grand Prix 2016 Spa-Francorchamps Circuit

Formula 1 - Belgium Grand Prix 2016
Spa-Francorchamps Circuit


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Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

•    Total number of race laps: 44  

•    Complete race distance: 308.052 kilometers (191.415 miles)

•    Pit lane speed limit: 80 kph (50 mph)

•    This 7.004-kilometer (4.352-mile), 19-turn circuit has hosted Formula One since 1925, with last year’s Belgian Grand Prix serving as the venue’s 48th grand prix.



•    Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the longest venue on the Formula One calendar, outdistancing the second-longest venue in Formula One, the 6.003-kilometer (3.730-mile) Baku City Circuit, by 1.001 kilometers (.622 of a mile).



•    Sebastian Vettel holds the race lap record at Spa (1:47.263), set in 2009 with Red Bull.



•    Jarno Trulli holds the qualifying lap record at Spa (1:44.503), set in 2009 with Toyota during Q2.



•    Racing became increasingly popular in Europe after the first World War, and the original 14.9-kilometer (9.31-mile) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was based on a triangle of public roads running between the villages of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot in the Ardennes Forest. Motorcycle racing began at the track in 1921, and in 1925 the track held its first grand prix, won by Antonio Ascari in an Alpha Romeo. Over the years, the track’s reputation grew, especially when a revamp in 1939 created the signature Eau Rouge and Raidillon corners, a fast and sweeping uphill, left-right-left combination. But after coming into existence after the first World War, the second World War intervened and left the circuit badly pockmarked by heavy artillery. Racing wasn’t able to resume until 1947 when repairs were complete. The track has undergone four more revisions since, the most drastic coming in 1979 when a new permanent section of the track was built to create a much shorter 6.968-kilometer (4.330-mile) circuit. Its current 7.004-kilometer (4.352-mile) layout debuted in 2007 when the bus stop chicane was modified, creating a switchback double hairpin, and the main straight to La Source was lengthened.



•    DYK? Only six drivers have managed to win the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa more than twice. Juan Manual Fangio and Damon Hill each have three wins to their name, Jim Clark and Kimi Raikkonen have four wins apiece, and Ayrton Senna won the race five times. The undisputed master of Spa is Michael Schumacher, who won a record six times.



•    During the course of the Belgian Grand Prix, lows will range from 13-15 degrees Celsius (55-59 degrees Fahrenheit) to highs of 22-27 degrees Celsius (72-80 degrees Fahrenheit). Relative humidity ranges from 53 percent (mildly humid) to 94 percent (very humid), with a dew point varying from 9 degrees Celsius/49 degrees Fahrenheit (dry) to 16 degrees Celsius/60 degrees Fahrenheit (comfortable). The dew point is rarely below 6 degrees Celsius/43 degrees Fahrenheit (dry) or above 18 degrees Celsius/65 degrees Fahrenheit (muggy). Typical wind speeds vary from 3-21 kph/2-13 mph (light air to moderate breeze), rarely exceeding 32 kph/20 mph (fresh breeze).





 •    Pirelli is bringing three tire compounds to Belgium:



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o    P Zero White medium – less grip, less wear (used for long-race stints)



- Theoretically, this is the most balanced of Pirelli’s Formula One tires, with an ideal compromise between performance and durability. It is an extremely versatile tire, but works best on circuits with high speeds, high temperatures and high energy loadings. It is a high working-range compound.


o    P Zero Yellow soft – more grip, medium wear (used for shorter-race stints and initial portion of qualifying)




-  This is one of the most frequently used tires in Pirelli’s range, as it strikes a balance between performance and durability, with the accent on performance. It is still geared toward speed rather than long distances, but it remains capable of providing teams with a competitive advantage at the beginning of the race where cars are carrying a full fuel load and at the end of the race where the fuel load is much lighter and the race effectively becomes a sprint. It is a high working-range compound.


o    P Zero Red supersoft – highest amount of grip, highest amount of wear (used for qualifying and select race situations)



-   This is the second softest tire in Pirelli’s range, and it is ideal for tight and twisting circuits, especially in cold weather when maximum grip is needed. The supersofts warm up rapidly, which has made it a stalwart choice for qualifying. But with increased grip comes increased degradation. It is a low working-range compound.




•    Two of the three available compounds must be used during the race. Teams are able to decide when they want to run which compound, adding an element of strategy to the race. A driver can also use all three sets of Pirelli tires in the race, if they so desire. (If there are wet track conditions, the Cinturato Blue full wet tire and the Cinturato Green intermediate tire will be made available.)





•    Pirelli provides each driver 13 sets of dry tires for the race weekend. Of those 13 sets, drivers and their teams can choose the specifications of 10 of those sets from the three compounds Pirelli selected.


The remaining three sets are defined by Pirelli – two mandatory tire specifications for the race (one set of P Zero White mediums and one set of P Zero Yellow softs) and one mandatory specification for Q3 (one set of P Zero Red supersofts). Haas F1 Team’s drivers have selected the following amounts:


o    Grosjean: two sets of P Zero White mediums, four sets of P Zero Yellow softs and seven sets of P Zero Red supersofts


o    Gutiérrez: one set of P Zero White mediums, five sets of P Zero Yellow softs and seven sets of P Zero Red supersofts





- Mike Arning -