Welcome to Thursday’s edition of the RaceFans round-up.
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Technical brief: Belgium (Williams)
Chief trackside engineer Paul Williams: ‘Spa is the most energy-sensitive circuit we’ve encountered so far this year, by some margin. The approach to Eau Rouge can be varied by trading off deployment profile, energy optimality, and the ride-height gains available from the setup on the run up the hill. We expect to utilise the full energy pack window: full at turn one, depleted by turn five, then full again at the turn 14 exit before emptying by turn 18. This leaves sector two significantly starved of energy, with super-clipping likely on both low and high-fuel runs. Five (straight-line mode) zones have been added for 2026, all of which remain active in wet conditions. Zone two (turns four to five) has a delayed activation point, moved to the straight section.’
Belgian Grand Prix preview (Alpine)
Pierre Gasly: ‘There is also the more emotional side of returning to Spa year-on-year as I, amongst many others, remember Anthoine (Hubert). I am organising the Run For Anthoine again on Thursday evening, the fourth time this special gathering has been held as we reflect fondly on all the memories with him.”’
2026 Belgian Grand Prix preview (FIA)
‘The Kemmel straight (between turns four and five) has had rain grooves cut into the asphalt. The track surface has been ground down at turn 14 to remove a bump. At the apex of turn five the ‘grasscrete’ behind the kerb has been removed and replaced with asphalt. The kerb at the apex of turn 18 has been reduced.’
‘The crowd are there for the crashes’: how a play performed on a racetrack became a smash with banger racers (The Guardian)
”This isn’t a moneymaker for the track. “I do it out of my love for the play,’ Rosevear says. He lovingly describes United Downs as ‘the rough end of racing’ because ‘that means it’s accessible to all’. The world of racing seems to work on this ethos of generosity: ‘If anything goes wrong,’ says Crosbie, ‘you’ve always got someone there to help you fix it.”
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Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Whewbacca the Cookie!
On this day in motorsport
- 20 years ago today Michael Schumacher continued to chip into Fernando Alonso’s championship lead by winning the French Grand Prix
- 60 years ago today Jack Brabham won the British Grand Prix. Ferrari didn’t show up and McLaren scored their first point.
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Social media and links
Technical brief: Belgium (Williams)
Chief trackside engineer Paul Williams: ‘Spa is the most energy-sensitive circuit we’ve encountered so far this year, by some margin. The approach to Eau Rouge can be varied by trading off deployment profile, energy optimality, and the ride-height gains available from the setup on the run up the hill. We expect to utilise the full energy pack window: full at turn one, depleted by turn five, then full again at the turn 14 exit before emptying by turn 18. This leaves sector two significantly starved of energy, with super-clipping likely on both low and high-fuel runs. Five (straight-line mode) zones have been added for 2026, all of which remain active in wet conditions. Zone two (turns four to five) has a delayed activation point, moved to the straight section.’
Belgian Grand Prix preview (Alpine)
Pierre Gasly: ‘There is also the more emotional side of returning to Spa year-on-year as I, amongst many others, remember Anthoine (Hubert). I am organising the Run For Anthoine again on Thursday evening, the fourth time this special gathering has been held as we reflect fondly on all the memories with him.”’
2026 Belgian Grand Prix preview (FIA)
‘The Kemmel straight (between turns four and five) has had rain grooves cut into the asphalt. The track surface has been ground down at turn 14 to remove a bump. At the apex of turn five the ‘grasscrete’ behind the kerb has been removed and replaced with asphalt. The kerb at the apex of turn 18 has been reduced.’
‘The crowd are there for the crashes’: how a play performed on a racetrack became a smash with banger racers (The Guardian)
”This isn’t a moneymaker for the track. “I do it out of my love for the play,’ Rosevear says. He lovingly describes United Downs as ‘the rough end of racing’ because ‘that means it’s accessible to all’. The world of racing seems to work on this ethos of generosity: ‘If anything goes wrong,’ says Crosbie, ‘you’ve always got someone there to help you fix it.”
RaceFans always endeavours to credit original sources. Want to share a relevant motorsport link with us? Send it in via the contact form.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free