Race Report by Aramco

BelgiumBelgium

2022 season

Sebastian picked up four points and Lance narrowly missed out on a top-10 position as Formula One returned to action at one of the most legendary circuits on the calendar.

2022 season

Belgian Grand Prix circuit figures

Number of pitstops

Longest stint (laps)

200

Total laps in Belgium

1401

Total km in Belgium

Fastest lapM:S.MS

1.52.515

Sebastian

1.52.880

Lance

Max speedKM/H

312.9

Sebastian

316

Lance

Eighth is a solid result. I was a little bit unlucky with the timing for the second stop.
Sebastian Vettel

Belgian GP

Sebastian Vettel

"Eighth is a solid result. I was a little bit unlucky with the timing for the second stop.

"I came out just behind Pierre [Gasly] and lost a lap behind him, which allowed Esteban [Ocon] on new tyres to close down the advantage I had built up during the middle stint.

"Once again, we were more competitive in the race than in qualifying: we started strongly and I managed to find a decent rhythm.

"I was able to put pressure on both Alpines, and I think seventh might have been possible, but they were a bit too fast for us today. But we will bank these points."

It was a tricky day out there today, and we were so close to picking up a point.
Lance Stroll

Belgian GP

Lance Stroll

"It was a tricky day out there today, and we were so close to picking up a point. Things did not quite work out for us as we had hoped.

"Losing some positions early on made it tough, but we had some fun battles out there within the midfield.

"Later in the race we got stuck in a DRS train behind [Alex] Albon's Williams, and ultimately we came up just short.

"Our race pace was positive, however, and we are extracting good performance from the car when it matters most."

Our aim was to score points with both cars in today's race, and we very nearly achieved just that.
Mike Krack - Team Principal

Belgian GP

Mike Krack

"After qualifying yesterday we said that our aim would be to score points with both cars in today's race, and we very nearly achieved just that.

"Sebastian finished a fine eighth, and Lance ended up 11th, less than a second behind the 10-placed finisher [Albon].

"We started both cars on Mediums, then split the strategies [Vettel: Medium-Hard-Medium; Stroll: Medium-Medium-Hard].

"Both drivers optimised the chances that those two strategies gave them, Lance in particular executing some impressive overtaking manoeuvres en route, and as I say we were only a whisker away from scoring points with both cars.

"From here we go straight to Zandvoort [Netherlands], where we will be hoping to add further to our World Championship points total."

Your guide to Belgium

With Cognizant

Insight and Speed

Weather

The weather at Spa is among the least predictable on the calendar. Rain is almost always a factor during the weekend, and it is very tricky to forecast. Given the length and range of the circuit, one sector can be soaked even when the others are perfectly dry.

Race disruptions

Including 2021's event, disruptions have been common in recent years. Each race has been graced with a Safety Car appearance since 2016. Virtual Safety Cars are rarer, however – only seeing use once in both 2015 and 2016.

Strategy

Increased tyre-wear seen this year could push what has traditionally been a one-stop race into two-stop territory. The pitlane delta is short, and the circuit is relatively easy for overtaking, so there may be the opportunity to deviate on strategy – particularly with the advent of a well-timed Safety Car.

With SentinelOne

Unlocking the Lap

Turn One offers the immediate challenge of La Source, the setting for many infamous opening-lap collisions over the years. It's a tricky hairpin whose exit is key to the lap. That's because it leads into a mile-long flat-out sector all the way up to Turn Five.

The challenge of turns 10 and 11 – Pouhon – makes it hugely popular with the drivers. It's an almost flat-out, double-apex, downhill left-hander, which is hard to get right. A new gravel trap lies beyond the existing Tarmac run-off, adding another layer of peril for the drivers.

Turn 14 is another key corner that precedes a long flat-out section, this time towards the end of the lap. It's a downhill corner, deceptively tight, where it is easy to run wide. A good exit offers the opportunity to slipstream rival drivers and set up an overtake into the chicane at the end of the lap.