Formula One is back. After the seemingly endless break for the summer shut down, F1 is back with a vengeance and heads to the wonderful Spa-Francorchamps, a circuit where McLaren have won many times in the past. The team’s last pole and victory here both came in 2012, courtesy of Jenson Button.
McLaren Belgian GP Preview
The MP4-29 should do well here in theory. The Mercedes powertrain should have a clear significant advantage here over the Renault and Ferrari units. McLaren’s lack of downforce shouldn’t be so much of an issue as Spa is known for its very long straights. The team are bringing upgrades to the race but team principal Eric Boullier is adamant that we won’t see the potential of these upgrades until the Singapore Grand Prix next month. One thing that may also play into the hands of the McLaren is the cooler temperatures. The car has seemed to go pretty well at circuits with cool temperatures, especially in the hands of Kevin Magnussen. A decent haul of points is a must here, as rivals Force India are expected to perform very well too.
No. 20 Kevin Magnussen (DEN) – 10th
Form: 9/7/7/9/12
2013 (Racing for DAMS in FR3.5): Grid 1: P1, Race 1: P1, Grid 2: P1, Race 2: P3
The young Dane had an impressive run here last year in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, taking two poles and two podiums. He also won his first race in that category in 2012 at Spa. It will be his first visit here in a Formula One car, and he will be looking to get back into the points after a big crash during qualifying last time out at Hungary, which cost him dear in the race. His first half-season has been far from bad, but there are very big names linked to a seat at McLaren for 2015, so we need to see more eyebrow-raising performances. His qualifying speed has been excellent so far, but he needs to convert that into good points.
No. 22 Jenson Button (GBR) – 8th
Form: 4/11/4/8/10
2013: Grid: P6, Race: P6
Button had one of his best races here last year, taking sixth in a McLaren that never troubled the podium all year. He also finished ahead of a Ferrari and a Lotus, which was not a bad effort at all. While it is unlikely that he will repeat his absolutely dominant win in 2012, where he took his only pole for McLaren to date, he will be looking to pick up some great points at a circuit which he does enjoy. He also memorably had an impressive run in his first season in Formula One, qualifying third in his Williams.
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