Belgian Grand Prix: The Editorial Team’s Hits and Misses
This year again, the rain did not make an appearance on the Spa track. This deprived us of any suspense regarding the winner's designation, however, the race was enlivened by many outsiders. At the end of this race, the Motors Inside editorial team highlighted the three performances as well as the three disappointments of the weekend.
The Mercedes/Hamilton duo has once again left only scraps for the competition. Even Valtteri Bottas seems resigned. He now has to comply with team orders and will likely settle for playing for second place in the championship.
The Finnish driver does not fall into the flop this time, but the beginning of July is far now and his performance has largely faded…
It’s the complete opposite in the pack, behind the leading duo many teams are capable of fighting for a third place clearly abandoned by Ferrari. From this relentless battle arise real fights highlighting the performance of some and difficulties for others.
TOP 3
Pierre Galsy, a fantastic race!
Let’s be chauvinistic and celebrate! Pierre Gasly feels good at AlphaTauri and it shows. A season start where he dominates his Russian teammate. On Sunday in Belgium, he delivered one of his best races. Just like in Brazil last year, the French driver was in all the right moves. He knew how to be aggressive at the right moment to make great overtakes. He knew how to defend his positions. Without the strategic error from his team, he could surely have been better rewarded than with this seventh place. Moreover, the public didn’t get it wrong, he was voted driver of the day. A nice recognition for Pierre who deserves a seat in a top team to showcase the full extent of his talent!
Renault back to the forefront
This Belgian weekend smiled upon the French. After a weekend without points in Spain, Renault managed to understand their car, allowing their driver to extract its full potential. Daniel Ricciardo delivered a superb race. Solid and efficient, he tried everything to finish on the podium. Always keeping up the pace, he managed to fight with his former teammate at Red Bull. And even if he finishes just behind him, the final result is encouraging. Esteban Ocon, still learning after a year away from competition, also succeeded in scoring big points and finishes just behind his Australian leader, notably thanks to a well-prepared overtake on Albon in the last lap of the Grand Prix. A serious race from the French team that puts them back in the contest for the final podium. Let’s hope the Belgian race is not just a flash in the pan.
Kimi Räikkönen, no points but a race full of experience
Alfa Romeo is gradually getting back on track. And while Antonio Giovinazzi helped the Swiss-based team score two points earlier in the season, it now relies on the experience of the Finnish driver to move in the right direction. His experience, speed, and consistency in races prove it once again.
Thus, Kimi Räikkönen, nicknamed the “King Of Spa” for a few years, finished his race 12th and as the best Ferrari-powered driver.
FLOP 3
But what is happening to Ferrari?
We knew they were in great difficulty since the pre-season tests. We have indeed seen them struggling in races at the beginning of this season. But for this Belgian Grand Prix, the reds are clearly shipwrecked this 2020 season. The complete management of the team is catastrophic. A missed chassis, a regressing engine, a four-time world champion left abandoned even before the start of the championship, botched pit stops, race strategies defying common sense… Ferrari is only a shadow of the top team it has always been. Even at the beginning of the 90s, the crisis was not as strong despite a glaring lack of performance and reliability! It is more than urgent for the Italians to react.
As evidence, Charles Leclerc’s time with Alfa Romeo Sauber in 2018 was faster in qualifying than his 2020 Ferrari.
Has Antonio Giovinazzi lost the confidence of his Italian employer?
Has the Italian driver placed by Ferrari at Sauber/Alfa Romeo for a few years now run out of chances for his future in F1? In 2017, when he was replacing the injured Pascal Wehrlein for the second time, he crashed his Sauber into the wall twice at the Chinese Grand Prix. After a year of redemption, he was signed by Alfa Romeo and had a complicated year, [we discuss this in this article](#). Yesterday, under pressure, he got caught out “stupidly.” While his teammate finished 12th as the best Ferrari-powered driver, Giovinazzi crashed out and ruined George Russell’s race, who became collateral damage from his off-track excursion. Has Ferrari’s patience reached its limits? Especially since numerous drivers are knocking on the door for one of the last remaining seats for 2021…
Racing Point, broken wings?
As with Ferrari last year, accused of cheating with its engine, Racing Point is slowing down after being accused of plagiarism. It is undeniable that the “Pink Mercedes” is a well-born car capable of excellent performance. But in Belgium, Racing Point’s cars stood out more for their inability to hold their own against the outsiders. Temporary lack of performance? Moreover, the brilliant Mexican driver has been lacking performance since contracting COVID-19. His return to competition is at a slow pace. He is regularly behind his teammate Lance Stroll, who has yet to prove himself in the top category.
We give you an appointment in a week in Italy, in Monza, to see if the TOP will be able to deliver and the FLOP to turn things around.
