2011 Belgian Grand Prix
- Rate the race result: 2011 Belgian Grand Prix
- In the Paddock Club and in the stands at Spa
- Leimer’s crash and in the pits at McLaren – fans’ videos from Spa
- 2011 Belgian Grand Prix: complete race review
- Vote for your Belgian GP driver of the weekend
- Red Bull: Newey relieved after “scariest race ever”
- McLaren: Button hit by debris in first-lap scare
- Ferrari: Harder tyres still the car’s weakness
- Mercedes: Schumacher climbs 19 places to fifth
- Renault: Petrov buoyed by R31 upgrades
Osvaldas31 (@osvaldas31)
28th August 2011, 14:37
Schumacher is the man of the race! He was just like the old Schumacher. If he was driving Red Bull, he would be unstoppable. Vettel also did a great job, keeping away from mistakes.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
28th August 2011, 20:45
Schumacher was sublime. Best race of his comeback.
Eggry (@eggry)
28th August 2011, 14:42
Yeah, good to see he’s racing
Steph (@)
28th August 2011, 14:48
Schumacher was nothing short of sensational and I’m so happy for him. However, Ferrari have put me in a rubbish mood. They finally this weekend learned to save their tyres during qualifying (although mostly because of the weather) and then didn’t exploit it in the race. A far too conservative strategy ruined their day. If they had pitted Fernando when the SC was on its way out I really think they could have had a better chance. I know where they were coming from with RBR’s tyre fears but I think their relentless pace would have put far more pressure on them had they been a bit more aggressive.
bosyber (@bosyber)
28th August 2011, 15:47
They do have something to look at for next race, definitely. They were hoping too much on problems with the soft tyres for Red Bull (and McLaren).
When those didn’t happen, partly due to the timely SC, the should have rethought their strategy, but seemingly forgot to, thus landing Alonso earlier onto the hard tyres than Vettel, instead of later as was the plan. They seem not flexible enough.
Massa was unfortunate, but even without that extra stop, he probably would have been struggling to stay ahead of MSC. We might have seen them fight for 5th at the end though.
MSC had a great car on the straights, and was using it well. I don’t really saw the point of him getting ahead of Rosberg only to have Rosberg be told to safe fuel (and MSC probably a few laps after that), but I guess it was good that they were allowed to fight on track.
BasCB (@bascb)
28th August 2011, 19:19
I think that Ferrari found out they still struggle with the tyres when the car is lighter.
And they did get Alonso from 8th to 4th, so its not that bad. A real shame about the deflating tyre making Massa have to stop again, he could have had a solid result as well.
Steph (@)
28th August 2011, 20:04
I think Alonso mostly got himself up to 4th from 8th. If someone had told me last night Fernando could get 4th I’d be pretty happy but considering it looked like he could have been on the podium I am still a little disappointed.
Icemangrins
28th August 2011, 14:49
Schumi and Jenson are the drivers of the day. Jenson’s onboard while following Schumi showed how poor the Mercedes is on corners… Though the W02 is magestic on Straights…they are loosing way too much time in the corners.
Venezuelan F1 Fan
28th August 2011, 14:53
Great result for Maldonado. His first point in F1!!! GO PASTOR!!!
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
28th August 2011, 20:47
Indeed! Glad to see he kept his head down after qualifying. Happy for Pastor and you!
Q85
28th August 2011, 14:55
Crazy strategy from ferrari. as soon as alonso didnt pit under sc i said he wouldnt finish on the podium…..
how can we see this at home and not them?
it blew the tyre advantage they had. gave a free pit stop to red bull. and meant he had to do more laps on the slower harder tyre than they needed to. they had to do like 13laps on it instead of perhaps 5 if they pitted under SC.
its too easy for seb when the other teams cant work out the basic strategy. They need to hire someone in the pat symonds style. as currently their strategist are clearly very shortsighted. not playing the long game lost the the race today. and the title last year.
Crackers
28th August 2011, 15:05
Is it just me or was it crazy for Red Bull to put Mark on the prime tyres for the final stint? Seb proved that they would easily last the 11 laps to the finish, and Mark’s strategy was completely based on getting the prime tyre phase out of the way while stuck in traffic, then getting onto the quicker tyre at the end. I have no doubt that had Red Bull given Mark the soft tyre as they should have, he would have won the race. Aside from protecting their Wunderkind, is there any other reason?
PieLighter (@pielighter)
28th August 2011, 15:11
Because Mark had to maintain the gap.
Q85
28th August 2011, 15:14
yep it was another team based decision….well pro seb one.
the blistering was becoming much less as race went on so mark would of easily lasted til end the softer tyre.
Also mark let seb through after SC too.
RenM (@renm)
28th August 2011, 15:14
ah come on!
Webber has proven many times that he is not able to preserve the tyres as well as Vettel can.
He had to come in very early for his first pit stop, so it was just reasonable to get the hard compound for him.
*getting tired of conspiracy theories from webber fans*
Crackers
28th August 2011, 15:30
If anything, Webber has proved over the last few races that he can look after the tyres just as well as Seb.
David A
28th August 2011, 16:33
But as usual, can’t convert. Hence the ridiculous 92 point gap.
David A
28th August 2011, 15:34
I’m getting tired of them too. Mark’ll be 10-0 down in wins before these people accept that maybe Mark isn’t as fast as the one who won in car 1.
bosyber (@bosyber)
28th August 2011, 15:41
Well, this way he didn’t have to pit another time, it kept him well ahead of Alonso, then Button.
Sure, it didn’t get him close enough to Vettel to do anything, but with an extra pit stop in there, that might have not worked much better, while having risked more for him and for the team, including a fight between their drivers.
QuantumForce
28th August 2011, 15:12
Schumacher is the man of this race..Awesome drive from last on the grid to a top 5 position..
Disappointed that the Torro Rosso cars did not get a chance to get very far though..
Carl Craven
28th August 2011, 15:59
Great race, Schumi did well, but the opening lap lottery is what paid off for him.
Button’s drive IMO was marginally better as he had to overtake more difficult competitors including Schumacher to make the podium.
Once again Button proves his worth and IN THE DRY!
tete
28th August 2011, 15:59
to me the driver of he race was alonso until the sc,after that the Ferrari team once again screwed the strategy. whoever is doing the strategies needs to be fire. Has made way too many mistakes this year and last year alonso lost the wdc because of the strategy. it doesn’t matter to have the best driver and a so so car when the one that is making the strategies fails to do so in 18 out of 19 races. bring briatore back . alonso was 2nd and massa 3 or fourth before the sc.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
28th August 2011, 16:03
I don’t think it’s anything to do with strategy, it’s just the Ferrari’s poor performance on the harder tyres again. All the strategy in the world won’t change that.
Q85
28th August 2011, 18:48
no keith. If fernando had pitted under SC he would of once again gained the upper hand on seb due to looking after tyres better.they would of both been on even fresh tyres. and most likely it would of forced seb to do an extra stop(by trying to get the undercut-which is what had happened earlier).
instead seb had new tyres. alonso had old ones. lost about 7 seconds to him. and then had to pit earlier(than he would of had he pitted under SC) for hards. which ferrari are slow with, therefore losing even more time. Seb was under No pressure so didnt eat up his tyres like had in early laps.
to say it has nothing to do with strategy is extremely short sighted. It has EVERYTHING to do with strategy.
Its pretty basic to see? and was very frustrating to watch ferrari short sighted strategy again lose fernando a chance of winning the race.
Ninad
28th August 2011, 16:12
I’m happy one happy Formula 1 fan. Brilliant racing all round.
Fixy (@)
28th August 2011, 18:38
I regard Alonso’s move on Massa as having ruined Felipe’s race. Of course he was slower, but attacking so desperately let Hamilton through soon and put both of them at risk.
Fixy (@)
28th August 2011, 18:44
But Massa has to improve. Being behind Alonso after the latter has done one more stop is unacceptable.
Q85
28th August 2011, 18:50
you moan when they dont race, you moan when they do.
Fact is massa couldnt get past rosberg. and they had to get past him. and fernando was past in a lap. as was lewis. and massa was STILL behind rosberg. and after the SC he was stuck behind him again.
Perhaps he should of done the sensible thing and let fernando through as he was much faster. But you would moaned about that too.
so you cant win
BasCB (@bascb)
28th August 2011, 19:21
I had the impression Massa expected Alonso to pass him, then when Alonso was not coming immediately, he seemed in doubt what to do and got a go at getting past Alonso again, which made Hamilton get a chance past him.
Q85
28th August 2011, 20:18
they were racing, they had been at it the lap before too. so fair play to ferrari.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
28th August 2011, 20:50
This result would have been better had Alguersuari had a better shot. So, so disappointed for him.
However, well done to Schumacher, Rosberg, Pastor and the Lotus guys for yet again beating half an established team.
Cee
29th August 2011, 0:45
I have to feel for Ricciardo he was absolutely flying in that HRT leading the bottom 3 teams until his car gave up he had a possible 14th place result if he finished
mouser
29th August 2011, 0:56
Any reason why Schumi was wearing a gold helmet instead of his usual red one ??
Ash
29th August 2011, 1:41
20th anniversary of his arrival in the sport I believe.
mouser
29th August 2011, 18:55
You’re probably correct as that makes perfect sense.
Ash
29th August 2011, 1:42
A superb race from Button and Schumacher, also nice to see both of the Lotus’s finish the race.