2014 Belgian GP - Spa-Francorchamps

[f1316]

This is what i call a flat out lap of Spa...committed and fast, I love it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5Qy6cOua2I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSePzgAHhec

Seems like Trulli was very fast in the middle sector (up a quarter of a second on Raikkonen who was faster than Montoya in the middle), so would liked to have seen that lap too.

[SectorOne]

Strange, seems FIA has stepped in and Chilton will race in Belgium.

[Jonnycraig]

Strange, seems FIA has stepped in and Chilton will race in Belgium.

By 'FIA stepping in', you mean his cheque cleared....

[SectorOne]

Strange, seems FIA has stepped in and Chilton will race in Belgium.

By 'FIA stepping in', you mean his cheque cleared....

Nope. That was a fun theory by the commentators but they did mention that FIA had a hand in this.

Also, @Juzh Maldonado flat!

"all your base are belong to us"

[Jonnycraig]

Strange, seems FIA has stepped in and Chilton will race in Belgium.

By 'FIA stepping in', you mean his cheque cleared....

Nope. That was a fun theory by the commentators but they did mention that FIA had a hand in this.

The teams have to officially confirm their drivers for the weekend on Thursday afternoon. Now that Chilton's cheque has arrived, they needed FIA dispensation to make a change, which they have received.

[iotar__]

I had to turn down the sound, firstly Horner repeating written marketing lines about how Kvyat is doing great without god forbid any examples from the real world to the contrary. Then BBC's journalists turned biggest qualifying failure in a dominant car into somehow "positive", Lewis is the one taking risks and Rosberg isn't. Can you imagine that?! Austria as an example of risk taking and not simply qualifying performance? I couldn't believe my ears, you want risk taking - talk about Canada.

So is it flat or what I didn't notice what I did notice is Lotus is handling like c... and is slow.
Edit: I figured it out finally: 1. You see - Seb is struggling because these cars are so tricky to drive 2. You see - we can pretend Kvyat is doing great because these cars are so easy to drive. Another verbal miracle from Red Bull's school of alternative realities.

[djos]

Wow, you are deluded, Kyvat has been doing incredibly well all things considered!

[iotar__]

Wow, you are deluded, Kyvat has been doing incredibly well all things considered!

He's OK when you stress 100 times "considered" but hasn't shown anything special to warrant putting him in F1 in 2014 to perform and compete. Spins, mistakes in Q, overshot corners and not a single performance to remember. Not bad for Red Bull's kindergarten but nothing more. Couple of season of playing in TR, jump to supercar and another superstar is born and another is burned out perhaps .

[Edit:] The point is: is he better than Da Costa, Frijjns, Wickens not to mention Di Resta etc? It's about quality of racing and not media realities. Meanwhile they have to pretend to spice up the show by "different" approach to penalties because (their logic not mine) no one can't overtake or is not willing to take risks. Hypocrites: after several season of the opposite trend with selected targets. It includes both: selective ignoring big fouls (Vettel, Hamilton) and not giving ridiculous penalties for nothing (Magnussen AUS), also of course selective.

[djos]

He's already shown his team mate up far more than you would expect for a first year rookie.

I'm not a fan of either driver but I thinks he's done well.

[SectorOne]

Anyone have a race pace data, how are the merc´s looking compared to the other teams?

[lio007]

bad news for VET https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/502768957955514368

[SheIsDisaster]

Ted Kravitz's development corner

[MrBigglesworth]

Anyone have a race pace data, how are the merc´s looking compared to the other teams?

I'd like to see the race pace data too so far - anyone got this?

[MrBigglesworth]

bad news for VET
https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/502768957955514368

That's interesting because I think that's the last of his 'free engines'. Next one should get him grid penalties and a season from bad to worse!

[Godius]

Any news on teams that have changed their gear ratio's? To me this seems to be the right moment to change it.