In the round-up: Carlos Sainz Jnr says he wants gravel and grass run-off areas reinstated at Spa-Francorchamps.
What they say
Sainz said the only thing Spa is missing is run-off areas which challenge the drivers. Its Astroturf run-offs were removed before this weekend’s race:I think sector two is one of the best sectors we have in the whole calendar. I think the only thing Spa is missing now is the gravel and the grass next to the exit kerbs.
I feel now we have a bit too much asphalt and the feel of risk and paying off risk/reward. It’s not good enough in these modern circuits. I think even though safety is paramount I think there’s still a compromise to be found with the Tarmac run-off areas.
Although the combination of sector two and Eau Rouge and everything is incredible I think there’s still work to do to try and make more of a penalty for drivers when you run wide. Just having that Tarmac there just gets that fear out of you of pushing a bit too much: Turn 10 [Pouhon] the exit of 13 [Fagnes], the exit of eight [Bruxelles].
I miss gravel. I miss grass. And it’s something that we’ll talk with the FIA to see how we can at least create that feeling for the driver to make sure we can feel a bit more risk/reward when going into a fast corner.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
📣🇬🇧 PUBLIC ADMITTED TO THE GRANDSTANDS FOR THE TUSCANY GP – FERRARI 1000 AT MUGELLO CIRCUIT.
11-13 SEPTEMBER 2020
PRESALE OPENS ON 1ST SEPTEMBER ⬇️⬇️⬇️#F1 #TuscanGP #mugellocircuit pic.twitter.com/ZYLSQGfbyc
— Mugello Circuit (@MugelloCircuit) August 29, 2020
This week, everyone in the F2 community and beyond is racing for Anthoine. I always looked up to him as a driver. His driving inspired me when I was struggling last year. He taught me the importance of never giving up. This win is for Anthoine🇫🇷#AH19 #BelgianGP
— Yuki Tsunoda (@yuki_TY0511) August 29, 2020
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Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Pierre Gasly: "I would have liked to make it to Q3 as there were only four one-hundredths of a second to Norris in 10th. I didn’t nail the last chicane and had a poor exit, I tried to give it a bit more and lost traction which cost me a tenth."
George Russell: "I am thrilled, and it was probably the best qualifying of the year for us. On paper, our car does not suit this circuit because of the long straights, so we were not expecting to be close to Q2."
Hopeful for Spa Sunday (Racing Point)
Sergio Perez: "I was a bit surprised to only be eighth, so we need to look over the data and figure out why we seemed to lose some pace today, because we weren’t as strong in final practice or qualifying compared to yesterday. It was also really tight out there and the gaps between cars were very small. I don’t feel we were able to show our true pace and we struggled on the mediums in Q2."
Kevin Magnussen: "I gave it everything I had but I just overdid it. I made a mistake at turn 14 and went off. We didn’t have any tows in the first two runs and that costs you about three tenths or so."
So close, yet so far (Alfa Romeo)
Kimi Raikkonen: "We tried our best and today we really had a chance to go through, but we fell a bit short in the end. There was quite a bit of traffic on the out-lap and the tyres were a bit too cold when I started the lap: I struggled with oversteer in turn one and lost some time compared to my previous lap."
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Comment of the day
Lando Norris deserves some sympathy over his decision not to use a special helmet design he’d created for this weekend, says @LesCombes82:
I’m sorry for Norris. That was a beautiful design with the picture of his grandparents on it. Our stupid Belgian politics ruined this for him. He’s not to blame. He doesn’t live here.
This would have been picked up by Belgian media and they would have played him. The political party who uses this flag would have taken advantage of it. The political parties that oppose this would have taken advantage of it.
Nothing much he could do.
@LesCombes82
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On this day in F1
- 40 years ago today Rene Arnoux put his Renault on pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix
JohnH (@johnrkh)
30th August 2020, 5:40
On the subject of run-off areas why are the track limits being allowed to be totally ignored?
Jere (@jerejj)
30th August 2020, 6:59
@johnrkh No, they aren’t. No problem as long as at least two wheels are on the curbs.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
30th August 2020, 8:54
@jerejj The white line is or was meant to be the track limits, the cars were fully well past that on most laps and obviously they are gaining an advantage or they wouldn’t do it.
frood19 (@frood19)
30th August 2020, 9:03
Yes, indeed. Hamilton, among many others, was well off the circuit on the exit of les combes on several of his quick laps. It looks bad for the car, grinding over that sausage kerb but the lap time doesn’t lie. I doubt they’d be doing that if it was grass or gravel.
I also find the big sausage kerbs a bit dangerous – if someone hits one wrong, they will get launched and could have a really nasty accident. The speeds are so high now in what used to be slow/medium speed curves.
anon
30th August 2020, 9:37
@johnrkh how far do you take that position though?
Do you say that having any part of the car over the white line is wrong, in which case there probably hasn’t been a legal lap in F1 for decades? Would you permit part of the car to be on the kerb, in which case the question becomes what portion of the car and how do you enforce that?
JohnH (@johnrkh)
30th August 2020, 11:01
anon It does come down to two things imo. First tracks must have boundary limits or it turns into a bit of a farce.
Second the cars have evolved where’s the older traditional tracks have not and I don’t want to see them disappear.
So the solution as I see it would be to redesign the offending corners to suit the higher speeds and wider cars we see today. Put in a grass or gravel strip to ‘encourage’ drivers to stay within the white line. As long as two wheels stay on the line fully no worries, if they go past that they would have two wheels on the grass/gravel = losing time.
Or we have the technical ability to enforce also with sensors no problems. I think either of those two solutions would work, I prefer the grass/gravel option as the drivers would self regulate.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th August 2020, 10:57
@johnrkh @frood19 – The FIA decided some time ago to use the curbing as the reference for track limits rather than the white lines and I’ve been perfectly fine with this.
@anon – Indeed.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
30th August 2020, 11:07
@jerejj But doesn’t that change from track to track I’m sure it does. Anyway I’ve posted my thoughts on it above.
BasCB (@bascb)
30th August 2020, 11:40
Exactly @johnrkh, the current application of the rules accepts drivers constantly going off track as it is defined (the white lines) with part of their cars and even with the whole car.
And then they start solving things like too harsh kerbing damaging cars etc.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th August 2020, 6:58
2880 is quite an over-optimistic target under the COVID-circumstances. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong because of that.
ColdFly (@)
30th August 2020, 8:54
Congratulations to Sainz with his CotD.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
30th August 2020, 12:00
I was a big fan of hip hop when I was a kid, they don’t look like me so it was very special to me when eminem appeared…not. I respect Lewis’ view though. I agree with sainz, spa used to be gorgeous.
ColdFly (@)
30th August 2020, 16:59
You did feel special though when Vanilla Ice appeared on the scene I hope ;)
@peartree
RocketTankski
30th August 2020, 12:33
For safe but challenging run off areas they could install an engine restrictor. If you go off track then the engine power output is nerfed for the rest of the season.