With unpredictability of the weather a major factor of the Belgium Grand Prix at the Spa Francorchamps circuit, Haas F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez says that the team need to make quick decisions as the conditions can change quickly.
“I think you need to make quick decisions throughout the weekend, especially during the race as it’s a way to gain an advantage,” said Gutierrez. “Making a wrong decision can be very detrimental, but that’s what’s special about Spa.
“It’s a very long track and it can sometimes only rain on one part of the track, on one or two corners, and if you’re on slicks you just need to deal with it. Ultimately, you only want to come in for full wets if it’s raining throughout. You really have to be ready and open minded during the weekend.”
Spa has some amazing and mind blowing corners that can test the drivers, Eau Rouge and Raidillon will push the drivers to the maximum, and Gutierrez admits it is an amazing feeling to approach the former in a Formula 1 car.
“Those two corners are usually flat out. It’s an amazing feeling approaching Eau Rouge,” admitted Gutierrez. “It goes up and you can feel the compression at the beginning of the corner and as the car is moving though the corner. As you go uphill, sometimes the car is jumping on the curb at high speed. It’s amazing. It’s difficult to describe it because you have to experience it.”
Spa has been described as a driver track because of the high demands and fast corners, Gutierrez will look forward to driving the Haas in Spa for the first time.
“It’s a track that has a lot of corners, as well as being a very long track where you can gain a lot of time if you do everything properly and if you’re consistent throughout the lap. This also depends on how much downforce you have on the car as the circuit has a lot of high-speed and fluid corners, which are important factors.”
