The summer break is over and the 2022 Formula 1 season will resume at Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix. This could be the last F1 event at the famous circuit for some time with speculation still swirling over Spa’s long-term place on the calendar, so there is even more reason for fans to watch this race at one of the sport’s most popular venues.
Questions have been raised over the safety of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit following a series of nasty incidents, including the death of Anthoine Hubert, in recent years. This has led to a redevelopment of the track since last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, with additional run-off areas added to the notorious Eau Rogue/Radillion complex.
Max Verstappen arrives at Spa as the championship frontrunner – and the 1/1 favourite to win the Belgian Grand Prix. The defending champion has a commanding 80-point lead at the top of the standings and has made the most of several slip-ups by his closest rivals, most notably Charles Leclerc, to establish such an advantage. At this point, it would take a collapse in the second half of the year for Verstappen not to retain his title.
📍🇧🇪#BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/DlWo9Z8k0i
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) August 25, 2022
“I’m feeling ready to race again after a good break,” Verstappen said ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. “I definitely got the itch to get back to it. It will be a busy triple header but it will be okay to manage as we’ve all had a rest. The upgrades to the track have made it a little more old school with the gravel traps which I think is a good idea. It’s my favourite track so I’m looking forward to racing there this weekend. It looks like there might be rain around which will make it more tricky, but luckily as a team we like a challenge.”
Leclerc needs to start the second half of the season well to merely stay in contention for the drivers’ championship, with the 24-year-old guilty of making a number of errors over the course of the season so far. Leclerc hasn’t been helped by some of the strategy decisions made by Ferrari either.
Spa’s track layout should favour Red Bull, but Ferrari have the car to be competitive anywhere. The prospect of rain, however, could favour Verstappen who has demonstrated his skill in the wet in the past. Lewis Hamilton (5/1 to win at Spa) is also known for his racing ability in the rain and could be a factor in the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.
Mercedes might not be in championship contention as is usually the case at this stage of the season, but the Silver Arrows are improving. Indeed, they are in their best form of the 2022 season so far, and arrive at Spa on the back of six straight podium finishes. A race victory in Belgium would really underline the improvements made by Mercedes.
“We have been improving this consistency from the recent races and the great progress the team is making,” said Hamilton. “Everyone pulling together and continuing to push, the car is more of a racing car which is not particularly what it was at the beginning of the year. It is more like a racing car in its characteristics, which is a positive.”
While George Russell has fallen behind teammate Hamilton in recent races after an extremely strong start to the season which saw the young British driver lead the way for Mercedes, the 24-year-old would desperately like to add a maiden race victory to an impressive first season with the Silver Arrows.
The concern for Mercedes is that their performances this season suggest the track at Spa won’t suit them. Hamilton and Russell have struggled at tracks that requires straight-line speed. Even factoring in the new technical directive that will come into play for the second half of the season, Mercedes’ car is known for producing too much drag.
Epic. Iconic. There’s only one Spa. 💚@PET_Motorsports | #BelgianGPpic.twitter.com/jcVMLpN3w0
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 25, 2022
Fernando Alonso is counting down the races to his 2023 switch to Aston Martin, with Alpine left in the dark with regards to the future of the veteran driver over the summer break. Alpine have still to find a driver to partner Esteban Ocon next season with Oscar Piastri expected to join McLaren despite his current team’s announcement that he would have a seat for 2023.
Daniel Ricciardo is racing for his future in F1 after it was confirmed during the summer break that the Australian driver will depart McLaren at the end of the season. Ricciardo has ruled out taking a sabbatical from the sport in 2023, but it’s not immediately clear he could secure a seat for next season. He must use the final nine races of the season to prove his doubters wrong.
Haas could be something of a surprise package at the Belgian Grand Prix. The American team have a record of performing well at tracks with high-speed corners and so it’s possible that the layout of Spa could suit them – see how Haas achieved good results at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring earlier this season. Mick Schumacher has caught the eye in recent races and could be a good bet for a points finish.
This weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix marks the start of a stretch of the season which will see nine races take place in the space of just 12 weeks. From this point, it will be a sprint to the finish with Verstappen in good shape to claim a second drivers’ championship and this breakthrough triumph in 2022.
Another Verstappen victory for Red Bull this weekend and Ferrari and Mercedes might start to focus on their development for next year. Until then, though, there is still hope that this season could produce a finale just as compelling as the one witnessed between Hamilton and Verstappen last year.
