I think we can all remember the 2012 Belgium Grand Prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, but just in case here’s exactly what happened as over time some facts have been slightly misconstrued regarding what was one of the most entertaining races of that year, but also one of the scariest and a true example of how safety in Formula One has improved so much.
After the disrupted opening to the day, with Green Peace protesting over Grand Prix sponsor Shell, the formation lap got underway in the heat of Belgium. The cars lined up with the second placed Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi’s brakes smoking heavily. The lights came on, and the commotion began.
2012 Belgian GP: Carbon fibre galore
Venezuelan Williams driver Pastor Maldonado let his clutch slip and made a jump start, passing the Sauber of Kobayashi and Mclaren’s pole sitter Jenson Button. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean made a good start and moved up to the inside of La Source, but in doing so, squeezed Hamilton between himself and the pitwall. The two touched wheels, leading to Grosjean ramming into the back of Pérez, then mounting Hamilton’s car before becoming airborne and crashing heavily into Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, missing Alonso’s head by a few inches.
Grosjean came to rest at the outside wall. Hamilton crashed into Kobayashi as well as Alonso after Grosjean’s heavy impact. Pérez lost his rear wing from Grosjean’s hit and touched Maldonado when the accident happened, making Maldonado spin. Only the latter two emerged from the crash, Kobayashi with a substantial hole in the side of his car. The Japanese driver then pitted after the accident and resumed in last place.
After a heavy safety car period, the action got going again only to witness the recovering Maldonado hitting Marussia’s Timo Glock.
The crashes soon died dow,n with only Narain Karthikeyan’s HRT spinning off backwards and colliding into the tyre wall late in the race after a wheel came loose being the only other action.
The racing itself proved to be a walkover for Jenson Button, who streaked ahead to win. What’s more, after starting the race in 14th, Felipe Massa fought hard to get fifth place; ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber. Bruno Senna had eighth position all but secured, but due to a slow puncture he had to make a pitstop with only four laps left in the race, dropping him to 12th behind the two Toro Rossos and Paul di Resta’s Force India. However, he clocked the fastest lap of the race; the first in his F1 career. Pedro de la Rosa was the last to finish for HRT in 18th.
After the race Romain Grosjean was found guilty of causing the multi car pile up, was fined €50,000 and given a one-race ban at the Italian Grand Prix. Lotus Reserve driver Jerome d’Ambrosio stepped in to the race seat.
Pastor Maldonado was given two five-place grid penalties for the next round, the first of which was for his jump start and the second for causing an avoidable collision with Glock.
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