Brazilian Felipe Nasr arrives at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend hoping his Sauber F1 Team benefit from the upgraded engine Ferrari are bringing to the Belgian circuit for the Swiss-based team.
Nasr will be making his first Formula 1 start at the Belgian circuit this weekend, but won the GP2 Series sprint race at the track last year, and is looking forward to seeing how the upgraded engine Ferrari are bringing to Spa for the team will benefit them.
“Going through Eau Rouge flat out will be tricky and, for sure, a challenge,” added Nasr. “It will be my first time driving this circuit in a Formula One car.
“We do have our engine update there, but, as we haven’t run it yet, we don’t know what it is going to be like. We are all looking forward to it and hope this will be a benefit for us.”
Nasr feels a low-downforce set-up and good traction is necessary to be quick at Spa, and adds his voice to the chorus of drivers who rate this track amongst their favourite venues.
“Spa is my favourite circuit on the calendar,” said Nasr. “The track is unique, having a lot of high-speed corners and a great corner combination.
“As a driver you get a nice flow going through these corner combinations. It is a track on which you need a stable car in the high-speed corners. I would say the combination of low downforce and traction is essential to be competitive.”
