On the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA announced changes to the track and confirmed the locations of the activation zones for the Overtake Mode (OT) and SM (Straight Mode) zones. Compared to last year, the following changes have been made at Spa:
New gates have been installed on the right side at the pit lane exit;
The safety wall has been extended on the right side before the second turn;
Special grooves have been cut into the asphalt on the Kemmel straight between the fourth and fifth turns to improve water drainage during rain;
The top layer of asphalt has been partially removed at the 14th turn to eliminate surface irregularities;
A section of artificial grass has been removed and replaced with asphalt behind the curb at the 5th turn;
The height of the inner curb has been reduced at the 18th turn.
There is one overtaking mode zone on the Belgian track. The detection point for this zone is located at the entrance to the 19th turn. If a driver is within one second of the competitor's car at the measurement point, they will be able to activate the overtaking mode, receiving an additional 0.5 MJ of electrical energy. The activation point for the overtaking mode is 130 meters after the 19th turn.
The SM zones are divided into two subsections – zones where active aerodynamics are used under normal tire grip conditions (the rear and front wings can be opened) and under reduced grip conditions (on a wet track, only the front wing can be opened).
Under normal grip conditions, active aerodynamics can be used in sections that begin 190 meters after the 19th turn, 140 meters after the 1st, 60 meters after the 4th, 140 meters after the 15th, and 80 meters after the 17th.
Under reduced grip conditions, active aerodynamics can be used in sections that begin 240 meters after the 19th turn, 195 meters after the 1st, 360 meters after the 4th, 190 meters after the 15th, and 110 meters after the 17th.
New gates have been installed on the right side at the pit lane exit;
The safety wall has been extended on the right side before the second turn;
Special grooves have been cut into the asphalt on the Kemmel straight between the fourth and fifth turns to improve water drainage during rain;
The top layer of asphalt has been partially removed at the 14th turn to eliminate surface irregularities;
A section of artificial grass has been removed and replaced with asphalt behind the curb at the 5th turn;
The height of the inner curb has been reduced at the 18th turn.
There is one overtaking mode zone on the Belgian track. The detection point for this zone is located at the entrance to the 19th turn. If a driver is within one second of the competitor's car at the measurement point, they will be able to activate the overtaking mode, receiving an additional 0.5 MJ of electrical energy. The activation point for the overtaking mode is 130 meters after the 19th turn.
The SM zones are divided into two subsections – zones where active aerodynamics are used under normal tire grip conditions (the rear and front wings can be opened) and under reduced grip conditions (on a wet track, only the front wing can be opened).
Under normal grip conditions, active aerodynamics can be used in sections that begin 190 meters after the 19th turn, 140 meters after the 1st, 60 meters after the 4th, 140 meters after the 15th, and 80 meters after the 17th.
Under reduced grip conditions, active aerodynamics can be used in sections that begin 240 meters after the 19th turn, 195 meters after the 1st, 360 meters after the 4th, 190 meters after the 15th, and 110 meters after the 17th.
Before the start of the race weekend in Spa, Valtteri Bottas commented on the rumors that Cadillac is looking for a replacement for him for the next season. The Finn assures that he should not be counted among the drivers whose future is in question.
Valtteri Bottas: "Rumors are part of Formula 1. Sometimes headlines appear that do not correspond to reality, but that's how it is. Especially now, with social media, people quickly pick up such messages, which spread across the network instantly.
The main thing is that I know how things are for me and how things are for the team. As soon as these rumors appeared, the team immediately told me that they were completely untrue. I understand my situation well, so I take it calmly. This is not something new for me, as I have faced similar stories throughout my career. At some point, every driver goes through something like this.
So this year, I am not participating in the traditional rumor season about transfers."
Valtteri Bottas: "Rumors are part of Formula 1. Sometimes headlines appear that do not correspond to reality, but that's how it is. Especially now, with social media, people quickly pick up such messages, which spread across the network instantly.
The main thing is that I know how things are for me and how things are for the team. As soon as these rumors appeared, the team immediately told me that they were completely untrue. I understand my situation well, so I take it calmly. This is not something new for me, as I have faced similar stories throughout my career. At some point, every driver goes through something like this.
So this year, I am not participating in the traditional rumor season about transfers."
We mentioned that Red Bull Racing is keeping an eye on Oliver Berman in case Max Verstappen decides to leave the team. At Spa, journalists asked the Haas driver what he thinks about this.
Oliver Berman: "It's nice to hear such talks. Red Bull has achieved incredible success, so even the mere connection with this team, even if it's just rumors, is very pleasant. But, as I said, it's just rumors, and right now I'm fully focused on my work at Haas.
In any case, I can't make such decisions on my own. Ferrari believed in me from the very beginning, even in Formula 3. In 2024, the team put me behind the wheel of their car, and largely thanks to Ferrari, I'm here now. At the moment, I enjoy working at Haas, and the faster I go now, the easier it will be for me in the future."
Oliver Berman: "It's nice to hear such talks. Red Bull has achieved incredible success, so even the mere connection with this team, even if it's just rumors, is very pleasant. But, as I said, it's just rumors, and right now I'm fully focused on my work at Haas.
In any case, I can't make such decisions on my own. Ferrari believed in me from the very beginning, even in Formula 3. In 2024, the team put me behind the wheel of their car, and largely thanks to Ferrari, I'm here now. At the moment, I enjoy working at Haas, and the faster I go now, the easier it will be for me in the future."
Yesterday, the Argentina national team defeated England in the semifinals of the World Cup, and it is quite logical that Franco Colapinto was asked questions not only about Formula 1 in Spa. The Argentine Alpine driver does not hide that he is genuinely happy for his compatriots…
Franco Colapinto: “To be honest, in the end, it’s just a football match, but a very special match! It’s not just a game, and many different factors related to this encounter influenced the course of events in the confrontation with England. The Argentina national team hasn’t played against England in a long time, and we are all very happy that our team won.
I am happy for them, for Lionel Messi, and I am proud that they never gave up, demonstrating true Argentine spirit. When I watched our team play, at times I couldn’t hold back my emotions. It was truly an impressive spectacle. And I am very proud to be Argentine! I am happy for our team; they deserved this victory. And of course, all of Argentina is very happy right now, and it’s just wonderful!
But in the final match against Spain, our team will have a tough time. I’m sure that during this match I will be much more nervous than during the race in Spa… We Spaniards speak the same language, and when exchanging insults, players understand each other well, so the match promises to be interesting! Argentina and Spain knocked out the teams of England and France on their way to the final, and this is the best final that could possibly be imagined!
In general, speaking about the upcoming Sunday, I am looking forward to it, although I relate to the race to a lesser extent (laughs). As for the Belgian Grand Prix, even before the start of the season, we anticipated that it would be most difficult to manage energy consumption in Spa, but at this stage of the championship, we already more or less understand how to act to achieve the best possible results on the lap.”
Franco Colapinto: “To be honest, in the end, it’s just a football match, but a very special match! It’s not just a game, and many different factors related to this encounter influenced the course of events in the confrontation with England. The Argentina national team hasn’t played against England in a long time, and we are all very happy that our team won.
I am happy for them, for Lionel Messi, and I am proud that they never gave up, demonstrating true Argentine spirit. When I watched our team play, at times I couldn’t hold back my emotions. It was truly an impressive spectacle. And I am very proud to be Argentine! I am happy for our team; they deserved this victory. And of course, all of Argentina is very happy right now, and it’s just wonderful!
But in the final match against Spain, our team will have a tough time. I’m sure that during this match I will be much more nervous than during the race in Spa… We Spaniards speak the same language, and when exchanging insults, players understand each other well, so the match promises to be interesting! Argentina and Spain knocked out the teams of England and France on their way to the final, and this is the best final that could possibly be imagined!
In general, speaking about the upcoming Sunday, I am looking forward to it, although I relate to the race to a lesser extent (laughs). As for the Belgian Grand Prix, even before the start of the season, we anticipated that it would be most difficult to manage energy consumption in Spa, but at this stage of the championship, we already more or less understand how to act to achieve the best possible results on the lap.”
On Thursday in Spa, Oscar Piastri put an end to rumors about his possible departure from McLaren at the end of the season. The Australian driver assured that he will continue to race for the Woking team.
In response to a direct question about whether we will see him behind the wheel of a McLaren in 2027, Oscar said: "Yes. I didn't even know that this topic was being discussed at all.
Of course, I have seen and heard some rumors, but I am quite satisfied with my position and the situation I am in. Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have supported me well in this situation and assured me that everything is fine.
It is obvious that Max Verstappen is not very happy with his position right now and is considering various options. Last year, there was a similar story with him and Mercedes, so there is nothing new here. I am very happy with my position and how my career is developing.
The rumors don't particularly bother me. It is important to understand how things are and what is happening in the driver market, and any available information is useful.
I trust the team – what they tell me and that they believe in me. Ultimately, that is all that matters to me."
In response to a direct question about whether we will see him behind the wheel of a McLaren in 2027, Oscar said: "Yes. I didn't even know that this topic was being discussed at all.
Of course, I have seen and heard some rumors, but I am quite satisfied with my position and the situation I am in. Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have supported me well in this situation and assured me that everything is fine.
It is obvious that Max Verstappen is not very happy with his position right now and is considering various options. Last year, there was a similar story with him and Mercedes, so there is nothing new here. I am very happy with my position and how my career is developing.
The rumors don't particularly bother me. It is important to understand how things are and what is happening in the driver market, and any available information is useful.
I trust the team – what they tell me and that they believe in me. Ultimately, that is all that matters to me."
At Silverstone, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly earned three points between them, while their rivals from Racing Bulls earned five times more, allowing the Faenza team to minimize the gap to Alpine F1 in the Constructors' Championship. Pierre Gasly has to admit that the rivals have been performing better lately…
Pierre Gasly: "Racing Bulls has looked very confident for several weekends in a row – I think they have scored points with both cars in four consecutive races. Certainly, this team is doing well – better than we have been lately.
It will be tough for us in Spa, as Racing Bulls is performing very well. That doesn’t mean we can’t overtake them. I don’t want to say that we will be focusing on minimizing losses, but until we get the next set of technical updates, our task is to try to make their lives as difficult as possible in every race. We have just one point more in the team standings, but we will try to stay ahead of Racing Bulls for as long as possible.
In terms of energy consumption, the Belgian track is one of the most challenging, but we knew that even before the season started and have a rough idea of what to expect here. As for the chances of competing in Spa, it’s quite possible that it won’t be too bad, and there are several corners where we will need to try to show the maximum possible speeds.
But at the same time, we will have to think about how to act best behind the wheel, how to use energy with maximum efficiency. I don’t want to think that this weekend we will have to deal with difficulties related to super clipping and other issues."
Pierre Gasly: "Racing Bulls has looked very confident for several weekends in a row – I think they have scored points with both cars in four consecutive races. Certainly, this team is doing well – better than we have been lately.
It will be tough for us in Spa, as Racing Bulls is performing very well. That doesn’t mean we can’t overtake them. I don’t want to say that we will be focusing on minimizing losses, but until we get the next set of technical updates, our task is to try to make their lives as difficult as possible in every race. We have just one point more in the team standings, but we will try to stay ahead of Racing Bulls for as long as possible.
In terms of energy consumption, the Belgian track is one of the most challenging, but we knew that even before the season started and have a rough idea of what to expect here. As for the chances of competing in Spa, it’s quite possible that it won’t be too bad, and there are several corners where we will need to try to show the maximum possible speeds.
But at the same time, we will have to think about how to act best behind the wheel, how to use energy with maximum efficiency. I don’t want to think that this weekend we will have to deal with difficulties related to super clipping and other issues."
This Sunday, the final match of the World Cup will take place in New Jersey, featuring the national teams of Spain and Argentina. Fernando Alonso, who is set to start the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, admitted that he is more focused on how to get home in time to watch the final game.
Fernando Alonso: "We don't expect much from ourselves this weekend. To be honest, the main goal on Sunday will be to get home and watch the final match.
However, even if you are at the back of the pack, you still enjoy what you are doing and compete with 21 other cars on the track. I lower the visor and feel happy, you know? In the cockpit, you completely disconnect from the outside world. For two hours of the race, I immerse myself in my own world and enjoy what is happening.
However, after the race, the main task will be to watch the match, if I can manage it. It won't be easy because we will fly back home. So it's possible that on Sunday I will only watch the second half, and I will have to miss the first."
When asked if the Belgian Grand Prix could be the worst stage of the season for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso replied: "It's hard to say. From race to race, my feelings about the car are not good. I think it will be difficult for everyone due to the regulations and the amount of energy available.
As for our team, we still have the same car as we did in the preseason tests in Bahrain. Other teams have updated their cars, and we started the season with a low pace, and with each race, it seems we are getting slower because everyone else is improving.
So we need to get through this stage. I hope the situation will be a bit better next week."
Fernando Alonso: "We don't expect much from ourselves this weekend. To be honest, the main goal on Sunday will be to get home and watch the final match.
However, even if you are at the back of the pack, you still enjoy what you are doing and compete with 21 other cars on the track. I lower the visor and feel happy, you know? In the cockpit, you completely disconnect from the outside world. For two hours of the race, I immerse myself in my own world and enjoy what is happening.
However, after the race, the main task will be to watch the match, if I can manage it. It won't be easy because we will fly back home. So it's possible that on Sunday I will only watch the second half, and I will have to miss the first."
When asked if the Belgian Grand Prix could be the worst stage of the season for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso replied: "It's hard to say. From race to race, my feelings about the car are not good. I think it will be difficult for everyone due to the regulations and the amount of energy available.
As for our team, we still have the same car as we did in the preseason tests in Bahrain. Other teams have updated their cars, and we started the season with a low pace, and with each race, it seems we are getting slower because everyone else is improving.
So we need to get through this stage. I hope the situation will be a bit better next week."
In the last season, after nine stages, Carlos Sainz had 12 points, while this year he has half that amount. Nevertheless, the Spanish driver firmly stated that he is doing everything he can to help his team and wants to succeed specifically behind the wheel of a Williams car…
Carlos Sainz: “We already have answers to some questions related to the speed deficit in Silverstone, and the team is doing everything in its power to address the issues that have been hindering us since the beginning of the year. The FW48 car does not allow us to perform at the level we expected, while other teams are faster than Williams in developing and implementing technical innovations.
We are trying to achieve improvements, but it is already clear that this year is incredibly difficult and is perhaps only contributing to character building. We understand that the car still lacks speed, its efficiency is below what we calculated, although we are gradually managing to achieve at least a slight increase in downforce.
I hope that in the upcoming stages in Belgium and Hungary we will make some progress – both through setup work and through small technical innovations. If we succeed, it will be a promising sign, although we understand that everything we have learned this season will be embodied in the 2027 car. Realistically speaking, we will only be able to make significant progress next season.
We have to admit that we were not able to understand the new technical regulations as well as we understood the previous ones. Moreover, our freedom of action is now limited by budget constraints…”
As the rumor mill is truly spinning at this stage of the season, there are various talks about Sainz's future, but today in Spa he assured that his plans are only tied to Williams: “I am not thinking about what opportunities may arise and where. At this stage, my preferences regarding the future are crystal clear: I want to succeed with this project. You have no idea how much effort I am putting into it, and I am currently focused solely on it.”
Carlos Sainz: “We already have answers to some questions related to the speed deficit in Silverstone, and the team is doing everything in its power to address the issues that have been hindering us since the beginning of the year. The FW48 car does not allow us to perform at the level we expected, while other teams are faster than Williams in developing and implementing technical innovations.
We are trying to achieve improvements, but it is already clear that this year is incredibly difficult and is perhaps only contributing to character building. We understand that the car still lacks speed, its efficiency is below what we calculated, although we are gradually managing to achieve at least a slight increase in downforce.
I hope that in the upcoming stages in Belgium and Hungary we will make some progress – both through setup work and through small technical innovations. If we succeed, it will be a promising sign, although we understand that everything we have learned this season will be embodied in the 2027 car. Realistically speaking, we will only be able to make significant progress next season.
We have to admit that we were not able to understand the new technical regulations as well as we understood the previous ones. Moreover, our freedom of action is now limited by budget constraints…”
As the rumor mill is truly spinning at this stage of the season, there are various talks about Sainz's future, but today in Spa he assured that his plans are only tied to Williams: “I am not thinking about what opportunities may arise and where. At this stage, my preferences regarding the future are crystal clear: I want to succeed with this project. You have no idea how much effort I am putting into it, and I am currently focused solely on it.”
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Last year's film F1 The Movie, which we have mentioned several times, became a very successful commercial project, grossing $634.1 million worldwide, and rumors that a sequel featuring its heroes might appear in the future began even then.
British actor Damson Idris participated in the latest episode of the podcast Beyond the Grid and hinted that negotiations about this are already underway. In the film, he played the racer Joshua Pearce, who is younger than the main character, played excellently by Brad Pitt.
"The negotiations are ongoing, and although I can't say much about it, these are very interesting discussions," Idris shared. "The main goal is to ensure that both Formula 1 and the fans have something to be proud of. I think that thanks to the first film, that goal was achieved.
I know people who have watched it 19 times! The charm of F1 The Movie, in my opinion, is that for the first time in a long time, there is a film that the whole family can go to. It can be watched with grandparents, with children, with friends – any combination is possible.
Such films don't come around often. I think that's why it became so successful, and films like F1 The Movie are very important."
When the 34-year-old actor and producer was directly asked if he would be interested in starring in a sequel if the decision is made to continue this project, Idris replied: "Definitely, I would agree immediately. Just for the chance to get back behind the wheel of those cars and race on those tracks.
And I need to work on my speed because I would be really upset if someone said, 'Damson, you've gotten slower!' Overall, it would be great. And no more banana smoothies with peanut butter because I'm planning to lose even more weight!
This film changed my life. I was a young actor known only for the TV series Snowfall, and when F1 The Movie came out, you could say my career took off at rocket speed. I believe the roles I now agree to should give me the same feelings I experienced in the Formula 1 film – they should open up new areas and provide opportunities to acquire new skills.
And I also want to boast during family Christmas dinners that I am a Formula 1 racer! Even if only my two-year-old niece believes me!..”
British actor Damson Idris participated in the latest episode of the podcast Beyond the Grid and hinted that negotiations about this are already underway. In the film, he played the racer Joshua Pearce, who is younger than the main character, played excellently by Brad Pitt.
"The negotiations are ongoing, and although I can't say much about it, these are very interesting discussions," Idris shared. "The main goal is to ensure that both Formula 1 and the fans have something to be proud of. I think that thanks to the first film, that goal was achieved.
I know people who have watched it 19 times! The charm of F1 The Movie, in my opinion, is that for the first time in a long time, there is a film that the whole family can go to. It can be watched with grandparents, with children, with friends – any combination is possible.
Such films don't come around often. I think that's why it became so successful, and films like F1 The Movie are very important."
When the 34-year-old actor and producer was directly asked if he would be interested in starring in a sequel if the decision is made to continue this project, Idris replied: "Definitely, I would agree immediately. Just for the chance to get back behind the wheel of those cars and race on those tracks.
And I need to work on my speed because I would be really upset if someone said, 'Damson, you've gotten slower!' Overall, it would be great. And no more banana smoothies with peanut butter because I'm planning to lose even more weight!
This film changed my life. I was a young actor known only for the TV series Snowfall, and when F1 The Movie came out, you could say my career took off at rocket speed. I believe the roles I now agree to should give me the same feelings I experienced in the Formula 1 film – they should open up new areas and provide opportunities to acquire new skills.
And I also want to boast during family Christmas dinners that I am a Formula 1 racer! Even if only my two-year-old niece believes me!..”
Aston Martin F1 is preparing a radically upgraded car for the Hungarian stage of the season, and it is believed that this will be the "B-specification" of the AMR26 chassis. There are many changes, affecting the rear suspension, nose cone, and many aerodynamic surfaces, and the team hopes that this will lead to a significant increase in speed.
However, racing director Mike Krack is already concerned about the difficulties related to the shortage of spare parts for the updated version of the car. At today's press meeting in Spa, he stated that this is currently a matter of utmost importance.
"Everyone is working at full capacity to prepare these cars (for the Hungarian Grand Prix)," he said. "It's a very big project when you decide to take such a comprehensive approach, and the timelines for its implementation are always something you want to push to the very last moment.
Overall, there are huge efforts being made at the team's base in Silverstone, and since I am an optimist, I believe we will be able to prepare both cars. But, to be honest, I don't think we will have enough spare parts."
At the same time, Krack indicated that in such a case, the team is also developing some sort of backup action plan: "You always have to think through different scenarios in case some spare parts are missing. You cannot afford to depend on a situation where one particular part is lacking, so we try to anticipate action plans for various situations...
I repeat: there will not be a complete set of spare parts. But I believe that everyone has worked well to try to prevent undesirable consequences, and we have prepared plans B in case we do not manage to prepare a certain component."
The package of updates that Aston Martin will present in Hungary will be the first part of the chassis modernization project, and the second should be ready for the Dutch stage of the championship after the summer break, when Honda's engine manufacturers are also expected to present an upgraded power unit.
However, racing director Mike Krack is already concerned about the difficulties related to the shortage of spare parts for the updated version of the car. At today's press meeting in Spa, he stated that this is currently a matter of utmost importance.
"Everyone is working at full capacity to prepare these cars (for the Hungarian Grand Prix)," he said. "It's a very big project when you decide to take such a comprehensive approach, and the timelines for its implementation are always something you want to push to the very last moment.
Overall, there are huge efforts being made at the team's base in Silverstone, and since I am an optimist, I believe we will be able to prepare both cars. But, to be honest, I don't think we will have enough spare parts."
At the same time, Krack indicated that in such a case, the team is also developing some sort of backup action plan: "You always have to think through different scenarios in case some spare parts are missing. You cannot afford to depend on a situation where one particular part is lacking, so we try to anticipate action plans for various situations...
I repeat: there will not be a complete set of spare parts. But I believe that everyone has worked well to try to prevent undesirable consequences, and we have prepared plans B in case we do not manage to prepare a certain component."
The package of updates that Aston Martin will present in Hungary will be the first part of the chassis modernization project, and the second should be ready for the Dutch stage of the championship after the summer break, when Honda's engine manufacturers are also expected to present an upgraded power unit.
The Red Bull Racing team has abandoned the use of the rotating rear wing at the Belgian Grand Prix. Team principal Laurent Mekies told BBC Sport about this. According to Mekies, at Spa, Max Verstappen's and Isaac Hadjar's cars will have a rear wing that opens in the standard way when moving in a straight line. This decision was made after the team held a filming day at Silverstone following the British Grand Prix. Previously, at the races in Austria and the UK, Max Verstappen went off track because the rotating rear wing did not close completely. Red Bull Racing did not specify what the exact problem is, but since the decision has been made to abandon the use of such a rear wing, it means that the issue has not yet been resolved completely.
Lando Norris initially found himself in an unfavorable position at the Belgian Grand Prix – he will lose ten places on the starting grid as McLaren decided to change the control electronics unit on his car, marking the fourth change when only three are allowed for the season. However, the reigning world champion tries to take the situation philosophically.
Lando Norris: "There’s another race weekend ahead of us, and that’s the main thing. I will try to perform better in qualifying and the race and show the highest possible result. Also, of course, we’ll see if we can improve in any way.
Certainly, the penalty doesn’t make our task easier, but I just had bad luck in the first part of the season; my car had many issues related to different areas – with the engine, with the control electronics, and with anything else. So in terms of spare parts consumption, I’m in an unfavorable position, but that’s not up to me.
That’s life, so there’s nothing left to do but show perseverance, trying to cope with the consequences of this penalty and those that are yet to come. But definitely, it’s better to serve such a penalty at this track than at the next two. In any case, despite everything, we will try to perform well this weekend.
The team continues to implement technical innovations, and each one helps to improve, although when you look at their list, you might think they will lead to some radical changes. In reality, the rear wing we will get this weekend is just a very small step forward. According to calculations, we’re not even talking about half a tenth of a second.
For now, we’re only talking about a very slight increase in speed. Let’s hope that the technical innovations we will receive at the races in Budapest and Zandvoort might give a bit more, but we are putting in maximum effort. Accelerating developments in such matters is impossible, so we have to pay a certain price.
The team continues to work hard; we are trying to do everything we can, and I think we achieved the best possible result in Silverstone. Although we are unlikely to win races in the near future, you never know how circumstances may unfold – it’s not out of the question that a good opportunity may arise if luck is on our side, and we will be capable of higher speeds than expected.
But for now, we have to show patience, and as a driver, I am doing everything I can."
Lando Norris: "There’s another race weekend ahead of us, and that’s the main thing. I will try to perform better in qualifying and the race and show the highest possible result. Also, of course, we’ll see if we can improve in any way.
Certainly, the penalty doesn’t make our task easier, but I just had bad luck in the first part of the season; my car had many issues related to different areas – with the engine, with the control electronics, and with anything else. So in terms of spare parts consumption, I’m in an unfavorable position, but that’s not up to me.
That’s life, so there’s nothing left to do but show perseverance, trying to cope with the consequences of this penalty and those that are yet to come. But definitely, it’s better to serve such a penalty at this track than at the next two. In any case, despite everything, we will try to perform well this weekend.
The team continues to implement technical innovations, and each one helps to improve, although when you look at their list, you might think they will lead to some radical changes. In reality, the rear wing we will get this weekend is just a very small step forward. According to calculations, we’re not even talking about half a tenth of a second.
For now, we’re only talking about a very slight increase in speed. Let’s hope that the technical innovations we will receive at the races in Budapest and Zandvoort might give a bit more, but we are putting in maximum effort. Accelerating developments in such matters is impossible, so we have to pay a certain price.
The team continues to work hard; we are trying to do everything we can, and I think we achieved the best possible result in Silverstone. Although we are unlikely to win races in the near future, you never know how circumstances may unfold – it’s not out of the question that a good opportunity may arise if luck is on our side, and we will be capable of higher speeds than expected.
But for now, we have to show patience, and as a driver, I am doing everything I can."
Silverstone became only the second round of the season where Gabriel Bortoleto managed to earn points, but the Brazilian Audi driver hopes that the streak of misfortune is behind him and that he will be able to fight for points in both Grands Prix that are to be held before the summer break.
Gabriel Bortoleto: "At the previous round, we were able to earn points again – I think this is good for all of us, for our team, as there were several races before where we couldn't achieve that. It was frustrating because we knew the car was capable of a decent pace, but for one reason or another, we couldn't put everything together.
However, the weekend in Silverstone went quite well, we had a decent qualifying and race, and we were also able to improve our start. All of this was encouraging, and we hope that in the next two rounds we can build on that success.
However, the track in Spa has a lot of straights, and because of this, we might find ourselves in a difficult position, as we know our car doesn't perform well in those sections of the track where everything depends on engine power. However, there are also quite a few corners here, so it will be interesting, although the task is to try to improve in all aspects.
I'm very curious to see how we will do this weekend, as this is one of those rounds of the season where I really can't predict how our car will perform. The best approach is to start the practice sessions, believe whether we have the right approach to energy usage, understand what level we are at, and act accordingly."
Gabriel Bortoleto: "At the previous round, we were able to earn points again – I think this is good for all of us, for our team, as there were several races before where we couldn't achieve that. It was frustrating because we knew the car was capable of a decent pace, but for one reason or another, we couldn't put everything together.
However, the weekend in Silverstone went quite well, we had a decent qualifying and race, and we were also able to improve our start. All of this was encouraging, and we hope that in the next two rounds we can build on that success.
However, the track in Spa has a lot of straights, and because of this, we might find ourselves in a difficult position, as we know our car doesn't perform well in those sections of the track where everything depends on engine power. However, there are also quite a few corners here, so it will be interesting, although the task is to try to improve in all aspects.
I'm very curious to see how we will do this weekend, as this is one of those rounds of the season where I really can't predict how our car will perform. The best approach is to start the practice sessions, believe whether we have the right approach to energy usage, understand what level we are at, and act accordingly."