F1 | GP BELGIUM, GIAN CARLO MINARDI “FERRARI IS BETTING ON SPA, RED BULL CHANGES FACES”

After a three-week break and a few shake ups – see Red Bull –, Formula 1 is getting ready to switch on the engines for the halfway point of the season. Spa-Francorchamps promises to be a very important race in many ways. As already stated, it will be the first without Horner on the pit wall for Red Bull, while Mercedes should have reached a definitive solution on the drivers’ front.

All eyes are on Ferrari which will bring its new suspension to Belgium, already tested at Mugello during the 200km filming day. On a weekend which sees the return of the Sprint race and with only one session of free practice, on the Friday. This could be a strong signal from the team.

As usual, the weather will be an important variable: the forecasts predict mixed conditions, with a wet track for the Sprint Race, while qualifying and the GP should be run in dry conditions. On a track that is demanding track for both the cars and for the drivers – characterized by 19 bends, traction problems and engines under stress on the long straights – with the 1,900 metres of the Kemmel section, run under full throttle for 24 seconds, standing out.

For this round Pirelli has chosen three non-consecutive dry compounds: while Medium (C3) and soft (C4) are contiguous, the Hard will be the hardest of the 2025 range, namely C1. The use of two types of wet tyres, the Intermediate and the Extreme Wets, is not to be ruled out

We are entering into the second half of the season with two consecutive rounds (Belgium and Hungary) before the summer break. While there is little to say about the battle for the constructors’ title – solidly in the hands of McLaren – for the drivers’ title., with the internal battle between Piastri and Norris, there will certainly be plenty of interest, even when it happens behind the scenes.

Gian Carlo Minardi