Google+ Jack Leslie F1: 2014 Belgian Grand Prix Weekend Report

22 August 2014

2014 Belgian Grand Prix Weekend Report

The 12th round of the 2014 Formula 1 season took place at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
© Octane Photographic
It marked the end of the four-week summer break and 14-day factory shutdown, as well as being the 59th Belgian Grand Prix to appear on the F1 calendar.

The Formula 1 circus reconvened in the paddock at one of the most popular tracks on the schedule, following a dramatic and action-packed Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring.

The Spa-Francorchamps circuit has created some iconic moments in F1 history. Were more made in 2014? Read on to find out.

FP1
F1 returned to the track on Friday morning for Belgian Grand Prix first practice. It was a busy start to the session, with Marcus Ericsson, Andre Lotterer - replacing Kamui Kobayashi at Caterham for the weekend - and Valtteri Bottas being the first to take to the circuit.
© Octane Photographic

After a few quiet moments, the session picked up pace in the final 30 minutes. Nico Rosberg ended practice one at the top of the timesheets with a 1:51.577, just under one tenth faster than his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Fernando Alonso was best of the rest for Ferrari despite stopping on track and continuing mid-way through the session. Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen completed the top five, finishing ahead of Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas.

Eau Rouge was flat-out for the majority of the field, but there were still plenty of mistakes being made during practice one - particularly at La Source and Pouhon. Giedo van der Garde replaced Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber for the session and was 17th fastest. Lotterer finished 21st, one tenth ahead of Ericsson.

Alexander Rossi was confirmed on Thursday as Max Chilton's replacement for round 12. He finished 20th, 1.4 seconds behind Jules Bianchi, but it was announced during FP1 that Chilton would in fact return to his race seat for the remainder of the weekend.

FP2
Hamilton set the pace in second practice at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. After a quiet start under cloudy skies, the session soon picked up pace and featured two red flag periods.
© Octane Photographic

The first took place after less than 10 minutes, after Pastor Maldonado crashed on the run to Pouhon. He ran onto the grass at the exit of turn nine, lost control, spun across the track and hit the wall heavily. 

The red flag then emerged 20 minutes later after Esteban Gutierrez spun at Blanchimont and was unable to get going again due to a MGU-K problem.

The early laps were completed on the prime Pirelli tyre, before drivers moved onto the option rubber mid-way through the session. Hamilton was fastest and ended practice two at the top of the timesheets. His best lap of 1:49.198 was six tenths faster than his team-mate Rosberg, with Alonso, Felipe Massa and Button next up.

Bottas, Daniil Kvyat, Ricciardo, Magnussen and Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10. Chilton was back in the Marussia MR03 and was 18th fastest, while Lotterer finished just behind Ericsson in 20th. A power-unit issue for Sebastian Vettel meant he was forced to sit out of second practice.

FP3
The third and final practice session of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend started in damp conditions following rain earlier in the morning. It was a quiet opening 30 minutes, with only three drivers - Bianchi, Chilton and Lotterer - setting lap times.
© Octane Photographic

The majority of the field emerged to complete installation laps, before taking to the track in the second half of the session to do some running on the intermediate tyres. All 22 cars then switched to the medium compound.

Bottas ended the session at the top of the timesheets after the final low-fuel runs on the option Pirelli tyre, with a best time of 1:49.465. He finished nearly three tenths clear of Ricciardo, with Rosberg next up. Raikkonen and Hamilton set the same time, but as the Finn crossed the line first, he was classified fourth.

Alonso, Kvyat, Button, Massa and Vergne completed the top 10. Perez, Magnussen and Vettel were next up, with the German using an old engine after Red Bull Racing had to change his new one following issues on Friday. Lotterer completed the results in third practice, seven tenths behind Ericsson.

Qualifying
Q1
Heavy rain prior to the first qualifying segment at Spa-Francorchamps created tricky and challenging conditions, with the slowest six drivers being eliminated from the fight for pole position.
© Octane Photographic

It was a busy start to the session, with Bianchi, Chilton, Lotterer, Ericsson and Kvyat all heading out on the intermediate Pirelli tyre. Drivers desperately searched for grip, with plenty of off-track excursions - particularly at the final chicane and Les Combes. 

Bianchi put in the opening lap time, a 2:16.474, but he was soon displaced by Hamilton, Ricciardo and Bottas - who was one of several drivers to use the full wet tyre early on, before switching to the intermediates as the track dried out. Gutierrez pulled off track at turn 15 with a problem, bringing out the yellow flags.

Rosberg ended the session fastest with a 2:07.130, with Hamilton, Massa, Bottas and Vergne completing the top five. Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Vettel, Alonso and Kvyat rounded out the top 10 in the first qualifying session.

Magnussen just made it through to Q2 but Maldonado, Hulkenberg (who said he struggled with the brakes), Chilton, Gutierrez, Lotterer and Ericsson were all eliminated. The latter finishing one second behind his Caterham team-mate.

Q2
The second session saw 16 drivers battle for a place in the top 10 shoot-out, with Grosjean and Sutil being the first drivers to exit the pit lane and take to the circuit as more light rain fell.
© Octane Photographic

Grosjean's opening lap time of a 2:13.974 was quickly displaced by Sutil, Button and Bottas. Conditions remained treacherous, with plenty of drivers taking to the Spa-Francorchamps run-off areas.

The timed tumbled as the session progressed, with Hamilton setting the pace. His best time of 2:06.609 meant he finished one tenth clear of Rosberg, with Alonso, Bottas and Raikkonen progressing to the final segment of qualifying.

Massa, Vettel, Magnussen, Ricciardo and Button (but only just) also made it through. Kvyat, Vergne, Perez, Sutil, Grosjean - who struggled throughout with the brakes - and Bianchi all failed to make Q3 and were eliminated.

Q3
The final qualifying session of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend got off to a quiet start, with Vettel, Hamilton and Rosberg being the first drivers to take to the track.
© Octane Photographic

The former put in the opening lap time - a 2:08.141 - but Rosberg went three seconds faster with his first attempt. Hamilton backed off at the end of his lap following a mistake at turn one, while Alonso lost time with a mistake at the final chicane.

Hamilton moved up to second on his next tour of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, as the track continued to dry out, before diving into the pits for a fresh set of intermediate tyres. 

The Brit improved on his final lap but it wasn't enough to beat Rosberg. The German secured his fourth consecutive pole position, putting in a best time of 2:05.591. He finished two tenths clear of Hamilton, making it a front-row lock-out for Mercedes. 

Vettel ended the session in third, with Alonso and Ricciardo (despite a scary off-track moment at Blanchimont) completing the top five. Bottas was sixth and Magnussen slipped to seventh. Raikkonen, Massa and Button rounded out the results in Q3.

Results:
Pos Driver                Team                  Time       Gap   
 1. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              2m05.591s            
 2. Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes              2m05.819s  +0.228s   
 3. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull           2m07.717s  +2.126s   
 4. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               2m07.786s  +2.195s   
 5. Daniel Ricciardo      Red Bull            2m07.911s  +2.320s   
 6. Valtteri Bottas       Williams            2m08.049s  +2.458s   
 7. Kevin Magnussen       McLaren            2m08.679s  +3.088s   
 8. Kimi Raikkonen        Ferrari               2m08.780s  +3.189s   
 9. Felipe Massa          Williams           2m09.178s  +3.587s   
10. Jenson Button         McLaren           2m09.776s  +4.185s   
Q2 cut-off time:          2m09.272s                     Gap **
11. Daniil Kvyat          Toro Rosso            2m09.377s  +2.768s
12. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso          2m09.805s  +3.196s
13. Sergio Perez          Force India          2m10.084s  +3.475s
14. Adrian Sutil          Sauber               2m10.238s  +3.629s
15. Romain Grosjean       Lotus            2m11.087s  +4.478s
16. Jules Bianchi         Marussia            2m12.470s  +5.861s
Q1 cut-off time:           2m11.081s                   Gap *
17. Pastor Maldonado      Lotus                2m11.261s  +4.131s
18. Nico Hulkenberg       Force India          2m11.267s  +4.137s
19. Max Chilton           Marussia             2m12.566s  +5.436s
20. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber              2m13.414s  +6.284s
21. Andre Lotterer        Caterham            2m13.469s  +6.339s
22. Marcus Ericsson       Caterham           2m14.438s  +7.308s

The Race
Conditions were cool and overcast for the 12th round of the 2014 season, as the sport returned to racing after the summer break. 

Rosberg took pole position on Saturday in what was a dramatic and wet qualifying session. Hamilton was second, but could he return to the top step of the podium for the sixth time? Read on to find out... 
© Octane Photographic

The revs rose, the lights went out and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps got under way. Off the line, Hamilton had a strong start and moved into the lead at turn one. Vettel also moved ahead of Vettel and there was contact between Bianchi and Grosjean at the back.

Vettel attempted to make a move on Hamilton at Les Combes but the four-time champion cut the corner and dropped behind Rosberg. The two Mercedes drivers then went side-by-side at the same place on the following lap, with Rosberg clipping the rear of Hamilton.

The Brit suffered a left-rear puncture and was forced to trundle back to the pits for a fresh set of tyres, dropping to the back of the pack. As Rosberg attempted to hold on to the top spot with front wing damage, Ricciardo moved ahead of Alonso and up to third on the Kemmel Straight.

Maldonado and Lotterer, on his F1 debut, were early retirements. Ricciardo was a man on the move and passed his team-mate for second place on lap six after Vettel made a mistake at Pouhon.

Rosberg pitted at the end of lap eight for a new front wing and a fresh set of the medium compound Pirelli tyre. He emerged behind Raikkonen, who also stopped, in 15th place but moved up the order as other drivers took to the pit lane.
© Octane Photographic

Ricciardo re-joined the track ahead of Raikkonen, Vettel and Rosberg when he pitted at the end of lap 11. Meanwhile, a piece of punctured tyre managed to somehow attach itself to the latter's aerial. Alonso was handed a five-second stop/go penalty as his mechanics were late leaving the grid before the formation lap.

A huge lock-up for Rosberg at the final chicane on lap 16 helped Bottas move up to fourth on the following tour. Hamilton pitted for the second time at the end of the same lap, moving onto the soft compound tyre. 

The second Mercedes took to the pit lane at the end of lap 19 for a fresh set of the prime tyre, emerging in 11th place. The German passed Button for fourth a few laps later, but was forced to hand the position back after gaining an advantage at Eau Rouge/Raidillon. 

He soon found his way back through, before then passing Alonso to move into the top three. Ricciardo retained the lead when he stopped, with Bottas emerging in fifth. At the back of the pack, Hamilton was running in 16th by lap 30 and - from his radio messages to the team - was giving up hope.

The Brit pitted for the third and final time at the end of lap 31, switching to the prime tyre for his fourth stint. Rosberg returned to the pit box a few laps later and quickly moved back up to second place on the option Pirelli compound.
© Octane Photographic

Hamilton eventually retired from the race on lap 39, while Bottas moved ahead of Raikkonen to take third place. Rosberg was on a late charge and had closed to within 10 seconds of Ricciardo by lap 41. 

However, he ran out of time. Ricciardo took the chequered flag 3.3 seconds clear of Rosberg to register Red Bull Racing's 50th race.

Ricciardo wins the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix

It was a brilliant drive by Ricciardo to secure his third victory of the season, taking advantage of Mercedes' woes to dominate the race. He picked up where he left off before the summer break and proved once again why he is one of the best drivers on the grid.

Rosberg's race fell apart when he hit his team-mate on lap two. The front wing damage hugely impacted his early pace, the premature first trip to the pit lane meant he had to do a three-stop strategy and a big lock-up in his second stint didn't help either.

Still, it was a good recovery drive to clinch second place and extend his advantage. However, his error proved to be costly for the whole Mercedes team. Bottas put in another strong performance, passing fellow Finn Raikkonen in the closing stages to score his fourth podium of the year.

Raikkonen eventually took the chequered flag in fourth after his best race of the year. A very close fight for fifth place was won by Vettel, with a rather aggressive Magnussen coming home in sixth. Button and Alonso, who lost a lot of time thanks to his early stop/go penalty, were next up.

Perez finished ninth for Force India, with rookie Kvyat rounding out the top 10. Hulkenberg and Vergne just missed out on points, while Massa struggled throughout the Belgian Grand Prix and could only finish 13th.
© Octane Photographic

Sutil and Gutierrez could only manage 14th and 15th, meaning Sauber's run of disappointment continued. Chilton and Ericsson battled closely late in the race, with the Marussia driver finishing ahead.

Bianchi retired late on with a gearbox issue, with Hamilton obviously exiting the race with a few laps remaining. Lotus suffered another double DNF, while Lotterer's debut lasted just two laps.

UPDATE: Magnussen was handed a 20-second time penalty and two penalty points by the stewards for forcing Alonso off track on the Kemmel Straight. He drops from sixth to 12th. 

Results:

Pos Driver                Team                    Time/Gap
 1. Daniel Ricciardo      Red Bull            1h24m36.556s
 2. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes                +3.383s
 3. Valtteri Bottas       Williams               +28.032s
 4. Kimi Raikkonen        Ferrari                 +36.815s
 5. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull                +52.196s
 6. Kevin Magnussen       McLaren                 +54.262s*
 7. Jenson Button         McLaren               +54.580s
 8. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari                 +1m01.162s
 9. Sergio Perez          Force India            +1m04.293s
10. Daniil Kvyat          Toro Rosso              +1m05.347s
11. Nico Hulkenberg       Force India           +1m05.697s
12. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso           +1m11.920s
13. Felipe Massa          Williams             +1m15.975s
14. Adrian Sutil          Sauber                +1m22.447s
15. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber              +1m30.825s
16. Max Chilton           Marussia             +1 lap
17. Marcus Ericsson       Caterham             +1 lap
18. Jules Bianchi         Marussia             +5 laps

Retirements

    Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes                 38 laps
    Romain Grosjean       Lotus                 32 lap
    Pastor Maldonado      Lotus                 1 lap
    Andre Lotterer        Caterham               1 lap
*20-second time penalty given, drops to 12th 

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