The FIA Formula 1 World Championship makes its return from its summer break this weekend at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps, and despite some big changes to certain corner profiles, Pirelli’s Mario Isola says it will still be a big challenge.
Following a number of high-profile big crashes at the Eau Rouge/Raidillon section in recent years, the corner has seen major changes to its run-off zones, while other parts of the track have also seen some changes.
Isola, the Motorsport Director at Pirelli, says the challenge of racing at Spa-Francorchamps is still going to be extreme, and with several additional gravel traps beside the track, it give drivers an even bigger challenge to stay within track limits.
“New changes bring new challenges, but the epic nature of Spa is still the same,” said Isola. “This year, Spa has undergone some of the biggest changes we have seen since we started going there in the modern era of Formula 1.
“But we know something of what to expect thanks to the 24-hour race last month – our biggest event of the year in terms of people and tyres – as well as some asphalt samples that we have taken.
“In addition to some new asphalt on five corners, there are some new gravel traps on four corners, which are much closer to the side of the track. Drivers will need to pay more attention to track limits, and there’s also an increased chance of sharp gravel being dragged onto the surface.
“The epic nature of Spa remains unchanged though, with all the traditional challenges that make the circuit so exciting still in place.”
Pirelli are bringing the middle three compounds of their range to Belgium this weekend, with the C4 compound acting as the soft, the C3 compound as the medium and the C2 as the hard compound.
