01Round 14: Bulls' Preview
A lot of tracks get called a ādriversā favouriteā, but Spa is THE definitive driversā favourite, and itās easy to see why they love racing at this iconic track.
Spa always creates a breath-taking race, mainly due to its mix of long straights, tight, technical turns, and a 102.2m change in elevation, making it seem like a literal rollercoaster. The track offers 19 turnsā11 left-handers and nine rightāand the most exciting of these is Eau Rouge, said to be the most sensational series of turns at any motor racing circuit. Watch as the drivers flick their F1 cars left, then right, then a drag race up the hill to Raidillon. The drivers will be at full throttle for 70% of the lap, and with the longest straight being over two kilometres, youāll hear those cars screaming! And Belgium isnāt known for its sunny climate, meaning there is always the chance rain could be thrown into the mix to make it an even more exciting race.
Spa not only has the biggest change in elevation of any circuit, but it also has the longest lap length, 7.004 km (although thatās small compared to its 14.9 km length at the first Formula One race there in 1950). It has the second-most number of turns and is fourth on the list of most Grands Prix held. So, thereās plenty of history.
Speaking of history, the Bulls have had mixed results at Spa. 2011 was the first time the Team won there, with Sebastian Vettel winning and Mark Webber coming home in P2. Seb won in Spa again in 2013, while Danny Ric won for the Team in 2014.
Max took the win in 2021 after just two laps behind the Safety Car due to the torrential rain, which made it the shortest race in Formula Oneās history. A year later, Max put on a spectacle of driving skill when he rose from P14 on the grid to take the win in fine style. Checo made it a double celebration when he finished P2, taking the Teamās fourth 1-2 finish of the season at that point. The pair repeated that feat last year as well, so weāre excited to see what happens this year.
The Bulls will head out on track on Friday at 13:30 track time (11:30 UTC) for Free Practice One. Youāll be able to catch up on all the action with exclusive videos, photos, and reports right here. Donāt miss a thing!
02Weekend Schedule
03Thoughts Ahead Of The Weekend
Max
Ready To Turn Up In BelgiumĀ© Vladimir Rys
We have been working as a Team to optimise our performance and get the best out of the car that we possibly can
Max VerstappenSpa has always been my favourite track, with its fast corners and lots of opportunities for overtaking. The fans are also great and we receive a lot of support there. Hungary was a tricky race and a weekend to forget and move forward from. We have been working as a Team to optimise our performance and get the best out of the car that we possibly can. Of course the weather makes things a bit more unpredictable but we will see what the race brings. The Team have been working very hard and, being the last race before the summer break, we are looking forward to having a well deserved rest and want to come back stronger; for this weekend, we will try and deliver the best result possible.
Checo
Checo Focused On This WeekendĀ© Vladimir Rys
The recovery we managed on Sunday in Hungary was very positive. I think it showed how comfortable I was in the car over the weekend and the potential we had. Itās frustrating that we didnāt get to fight for the podium, because we had the ability to be up there with the race performance we showed, the final stint was very promising. Now itās down to me to put the whole weekend together in Belgium and I am confident we can. We are working well together as a Team and what my mechanics were able to do to rebuild my car overnight in Budapest shows the incredible hard work everyone puts in, day in and day out. Thereās one race to go before the summer break and I want to repay my Team for last weekend with a good result, they are all that matter to me.
04Weekend By Numbers
2Max has won the last two Belgian Grand Prixes by a margin of 22.305 seconds and 17.841 seconds
