Belgian Grand Prix – Qualifying

It feels longer than three weeks since the Hungarian Grand Prix, especially as there’s been all sorts of news in that time:

• VET announcing before the previous race that he’ll retire at the end of this season kicked the “silly season” into high gear, and this year seems sillier than most!
  • ALO will move to Aston Martin to fill VET’s seat [F1]
    “Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed he only learned that his driver Fernando Alonso would be departing the team at the end of the season when he saw Aston Martin’s press release announcing the move on Monday morning.” [F1]
  • Alpine then announced that their current reserve driver Oscar Piastri will move up to take ALO’s seat [F1]
  • …but then Piastri tweeted “This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.” [F1]
    Hmmm, so obviously he thinks he has a better offer but where?
    Meanwhile Alpine and Piastri will be at the FIA’s Contracts Recognition Board next week to decide his future. [F1] [BBC]
  • Williams confirmed ALB will stay with them for next season, and ALB tweeted a parody of Piastri’s to confirm it [F1]
  • McLaren have dumped RIC despite having another year on his contract; RIC seemed unhappy with the news but officially they’re saying it was “mutually agreed”. [BBC]
    McLaren say they will announce who will partner Norris in 2023 “in due course”. [F1]
• “Bernie Ecclestone has denied fraud over an alleged failure to declare about $650m in overseas assets.” [BBC]
  Don’t forget back in May he was “arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane to Switzerland.” “He paid 6,000 Brazilian reals (£998) and the gun was confiscated.” [BBC]
• The FIA World Motor Sport Council approved the power unit regulations set to come into effect for the 2026 season. “The WMSC also approved changes to the 2022 and 2023 Technical Regulations, designed to address both the issue of aerodynamic porpoising and of safety standards for roll hoops.” [F1]
  “Everything you need to know about the 2026 engine regulations” [video]
• “German manufacturer Audi will join the Formula 1 World Championship from the 2026 season as a power unit supplier.” [F1]

Catching up on the stats at the mid-season mark:

• Drivers’ Championship: VER (258 points), LEC (178), PER (173), RUS (158), SAI (156), HAM (146), NOR (76), OCO (68), BOT (46), ALO (41)…
• Constructors’ Championship: Red Bull (431), Ferrari (334), Mercedes (304), Alpine (99), McLaren (95), Alfa Romeo (51), Haas (34), Alphatauri (27), Aston Martin (20), Williams (3)
• VET tops the table for fines, although the majority of his €35,900 is due to the €25,000 fine for his “behaviour during a drivers’ meeting” at the Austrian Grand Prix; SAI is 2nd (€25,000) and PER 3rd (€10,600).

On to the race weekend.

1. FP1: SAI (1:46.538), LEC, VER, RUS, STR, ALB, RIC, TSU, HAM, PER
2. FP2: VER (1:45.507), LEC, NOR, STR, SAI, HAM, ALO, RUS, RIC, PER
3. FP3: PER (1:45.047), VER, SAI, NOR, ALO, RUS, LEC, VET, OCO, GAS

Pre-Qualifying penalties for engine changes: VER, LEC, BOT, OCO, SCH [F1]

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
Air temperature 15°C; track 20°C; humidity 86%; it’s overcast but dry
The start of Q1 has been delayed as the track workers are repairing a barrier damaged by a crash in the Porsche Supercup race a few minutes ago
There’s a lot of mist hanging over the valley – it rained yesterday
25mins after the scheduled start, Q1 is about to get underway
LAT is the first to leave the pits; he’s on medium compound tyres
Given the penalties awaiting them, we might not see much from those who took engine updates
LAT returns to the pits without setting a time
SCH 1:47.929 on softs
Everyone now on track; all on softs
HAM 1:46.703
RUS 1:46.269
PER 1:45.377
SAI 1:45.050
VER 1:44.581
TSU steams past RUS and then locks up into Turn 1; RUS comments “super dangerous”
5mins left of Q1; bottom 5 are STR, LAT, SCH, ZHO, BOT
Has RUS broken something or is his front wing meant to wobble like that? (more than just a flex)
RUS reports it’s spitting in Eau Rouge
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are STR, LAT, SCH, ZHO, BOT
LAT P13, TSU P16
STR P10, VET P16
ZHO P7, LAT P16
VET P15, ALB P16
RIC has his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits
ALB P6, VET P16
Back of the grid*: VET, LAT, MAG, TSU, BOT
*but don’t forget there are 6 drivers getting sent to the back for engine changes

Qualifying session 2
The Mercedes pair are first on track
HAM 1:46.622
RUS 1:46.284
VER 1:44.723
(SAI P2)
(PER P2)
LEC kicks up some dust and then wides wide in the next turn
Radio from LEC, “The car is jumping like crazy”
5mins left of Q2; bottom 5 are ALB, ZHO, STR, SCH, RIC (No time for RIC yet)
Only VER and PER remain in the pits
OCO giving Alpine teammate ALO a tow
Chequered flag
ZHO P9, HAM P11
STR P11
LEC 1:44.551
RIC P8, RUS P11 – that’s both Mercedes in the elimination zone
HAM P5, GAS 11
RUS P6, RIC P11
Middle of the grid: RIC, GAS, ZHO, STR, SCH

Qualifying session 3
Top 10 shootout is between LEC, VER, PER, SAI, HAM, RUS, OCO, ALO, NOR and ALB
Radio from SAI ASKING “What are these tyres”; “Sorry, it was a mistake” – What a shambles, Ferrari!
ALB 1:46.369
PER 1:44.4
VER 1:43.665
SAI P2
OCO P4
HAM P5
NOR P5
RUS P6
Order after the first run: VER, SAI, PER, OCO, NOR, RUS, ALB, HAM; LEC and ALO yet to set a time
LEC P4
PER getting out of the Red Bull
SAI pulls across in front of ALO – nearly caused a collision
LEC still in the pits… ah, no, he’s come out of the pits just in time to give SAI a tow
Chequered flag; order is VER, SAI, PER, LEC, OCO, ALB, NOR, RUS, HAM, ALO
SAI P2
ALO P6
HAM P7
PER P3
RUS P8
ALB P9
Front of the grid: VER, SAI, PER, LEC, OCO, ALO, HAM, RUS, ALB, NOR

Provisional grid: VER, SAI, PER, LEC, OCO, ALO, HAM, RUS, ALB, NOR, RIC, GAS, ZHO, STR, SCH, VET, LAT, MAG, TSU, BOT
but now there’s all the engine penalties to be applied for VER, LEC, NOR, BOT, OCO, SCH
which I think means the grid will be: SAI, PER, ALO, HAM, RUS, ALB, RIC, GAS, ZHO, STR, VET, LAT, MAG, TSU, VER*, LEC*, OCO*, NOR*, SCH*, BOT*
Apparently ZHO also got a penalty, and BOT’s was less severe than the others, so grid take 2: SAI, PER, ALO, HAM, RUS, ALB, RIC, GAS, STR, VET, LAT, MAG, TSU, BOT*, VER*, LEC*, OCO*, NOR*, ZHO*, SCH*

[2022 calendar and line-up]